You Had Me From Hello
by FireStorm1991
Summary: Life always has unexpected twists and turns, so imagine Shuichi's surprise when a girl walks into his life and turns it upside-down. In addition, Botan has many problems of her own and finds comfort in another as her life is seemingly falling apart. Add the additional struggle of grueling graduate studies and many more mishaps that may end up leading them closer together.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

Ironically enough, this story was started because of a scene (that will not happen this chapter) being dreamt up by me the night before my fall finals started. And now I'm done with my second semester of grad school and graduated :D Ah, how the time flies!

* * *

Taking a deep breath, a blue-haired girl entered the old brick building. The place was old, dark, and musty, but there was a couch against the opposite wall. Sighing, the girl took out a folded slip of paper that contained her schedule.

"Let's see," she said, "Experimental Design room 012." She took in her surroundings and saw that one of the rooms was labelled "101." "Well…that's not helpful. Isn't this the bottom floor?"

But of course, she received no answer. She breathed out another heavy sigh. There was no one around, and she knew it was her fault she came some early. She just didn't want to be late to her first graduate school class. Shaking her head, she gathered her belongings to continue her search. After all, the floor looked very small. There needed to be some room labelled "012."

There wasn't.

The girl frowned and checked her schedule again. There wasn't even a room "112," and there was literally no one present in the building. Well, she had expected as much.

About to give up, the girl stumbled across a narrow staircase heading to yet another lower floor. "Don't tell me…" she muttered.

As she descended the stairwell, she couldn't help but think to herself that this was the making of a great horror movie. A young, twenty-three year old woman in an old, dark building descending the stairs into an unknown basement.

 _And action,_ she mentally scoffed.

And behold, the first door to the right was, in fact, room "012."

"They really expect us to have class in a basement?" she asked herself.

"Do you make it a habit of talking to yourself?"

The girl paled slightly and then walked into the room and saw a young, red-haired man sitting in the corner reading. He was smiling at her causing her to smile back. "Um, hello," the girl greeted. "I didn't realize someone else was here."

The man chuckled. "Naturally," came his smooth reply as he put his book away. "You didn't answer my question."

The blue-haired girl blushed, but kept her smile. "I do talk to myself, sometimes. It's perfectly healthy, I'll have you know."

His shoulders shook, but he held back his laughter. "I agree," he replied. "My mother will occasionally make a statement when she believes no one is listening."

The girl didn't say anything more, but took a seat at the front of the room and started getting out her notebook, folder, and writing utensils. She even took out a voice recorder.

From the back of the room, the man observed her movements. He could tell just from the materials she had that she was a studious girl, much like himself. She also sat at the front of the class, meaning she was attentive. Much like him, she was there a half an hour early. She had not wanted to miss a second of class.

He decided to move his spot before others showed up and sat right next to the girl. "Why do you have a tape recorder?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

The girl was clearly startled. He frowned when he realized she had been deep in thought, and then he realized how exhausted she looked. "Oh," she said, looking down at the recorder. "Well, I have a long drive, so I figured I could listen to lectures on the drive if I need to."

"How long is the drive?" he continued to question.

The girl thought about it for a moment. "About an hour and a half," she told him. "I'm…sort of staying with my mother for the time being. Couldn't get housing."

The redhead understood well since graduate housing had been taken away. "I'm staying with my parents as well, though they live close by."

The girl smiled slightly, but said nothing more. The boy wanted to keep the conversation going, though. "I am Shuichi, by the way."

She turned to him again, clearly shocked at him giving his name, but then she relaxed again. "I'm Botan. It's nice to meet you, Shuichi," she replied sincerely. "So…why are you here so early if you live close by?"

"I was already awake," Shuichi replied. "I figured that if I was going to spend time being awake at home with nothing to do, it would be better to just arrive early and force myself to get other work done."

"Other work?" Botan asked. "But classes just started. Well, for me at least. I know that classes technically started yesterday, but my classes are just a couple days in the week."

Shuichi showed her the book, and it didn't look like a fun read. "Why are you reading a book on accounting?"

Shuichi released a slight chuckle. "Well, my stepfather is involved in business, so I try to help him out when I can. My passion, and what I am actually here for, is botany."

Botan nodded, but her frown returned, and the pensive look returned to her face. "My father worked in business as well."

"What does he do now?" Shuichi asked in interest.

She turned to look at him, a pained expression on her face. "He…he passed away earlier this year," she said awkwardly. Then she shook her head and looked away ashamed. "I'm sorry…I still don't know how to hold a conversation without bringing that up. It's…difficult not to think about it or have it come up somehow."

Shuichi placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him skeptically. His expression was serious, but held warmth towards her. "You do not need to apologize for that," he told her. "My father passed away when I was younger, and it took quiet a long time for me to act somewhat normally after that. Most of the time, now, he doesn't come up in conversation, but making new friends in elementary school was slightly challenging, even though he died when I was quite young, because, as you said, I didn't know how not to bring it up. It was easier not to converse at all and remain quiet."

Botan flashed him a half-smile. "Yeah," she agreed, "thanks. That's pretty much exactly how I feel right now." After releasing a sigh, she held herself up. "Now, maybe we should change topics for now. We can talk about what we think we're getting into with this class, huh?"

"It won't be that bad," he assured her. "I took a similar class to this in my undergraduate work. I've already taken a look at the syllabus and the work will be a synch."

"Good," Botan replied, "because easy is very welcome right now…"

* * *

That one, random conversation had been the start of a friendship. Botan and Shuichi would always be the first ones to the class, early in the morning, a half hour early. It gave them plenty of time for small talk and conversation before other classmates started straggling in for class. After class, they would usually spend a little time together before their next classes and would even grab lunch together. It made passing the time while Botan had nowhere else to go bearable. She hadn't expected someone new to enter her life, but she was kind of happy Shuichi had.

It had been a difficult year for the girl. After recovering from surgery in her hometown, she had a couple of internship opportunities lined up. It required her being far away from her family, living alone which in and of itself was challenging. She had just found out she had gotten into graduate school. It pained her slightly because she couldn't share the news with her father. The year before, he had completely written her off as his daughter. The way he spoke to her was cruel, much like how their interactions were since she had become a teenager. Things were always difficult, but, when he died, Botan was inconsolable. She had moved in with her mother twelve hours away from where she went to college, and kept herself busy with the internships. It was almost as if she was trying to leave the pain of the past behind.

And it failed.

Her emotions continued to be all over the place. Some days she was calm and content, others excited, sometimes sad, and sometime angry and moody. She didn't even have to be thinking about the past to cycle through all those emotions. It upset her that she didn't have complete control of herself or her demeanor around others.

She had always prided herself in her ability to form conversations out of nothing, making friends easily and giving good advice. Now, she could barely recognize herself. She could only have conversations with her longtime friend, Yusuke, and her mother, and everyone else was a challenge. She even had Yusuke attend the barbecue for graduate students with her just to be a conversation buffer. He kept her engaged with other people, but Botan still felt so distant.

It surprised her that she easily found a friend in Shuichi, without Yusuke's help. It was lucky for her that he could understand her pain. It really helped for her to talk things out with someone who hadn't been there the entire time watching her go through everything like her best friend and mother. He was unbiased and was able to help her sort through certain emotions that she couldn't explain to either of her two confidants.

* * *

As quickly as the semester had started, finals came. Most students were panicked. Botan, however, was calm as anything. She remembered a time where finals week terrified her as well. The thought of failure was not something she could tolerate. Her father had always made her feel like a failure. Instead of feeling anxiety, she felt guilt in the sense that she was no longer feeling that anxiety. She still missed her father, but there were times where she felt relief, knowing he couldn't do anything else to send her into spiraling depressions.

She only had two exams and two papers. The papers were easy to get in quickly, before she ever had her exams. The two exams were on the same day. The only thing that irritated her was that she had a few hours between her two exams and wouldn't be able to go home until late in the afternoon. The hour and a half drive had been sucking her energy dry, but after today she wouldn't have to make the commute. Luck would have it that she found an apartment nearby. It would be a relief to not have to get up at 5:30 in the morning the following semester.

She had seen Shuichi in the late morning for their experimental design final. Her friend had been right about the coursework. It had been a very easy class, as long as you kept the concepts and math straight. Math had never really been a problem for her, and concepts were easily absorbed into her mind. With her year, an easy A had been a pleasant surprise. Her courses had all had their easy topics, and it helped her get back into the feel of school after her year off.

Her last final was at the same time as Shuichi's. Botan was kind of sad about that, because it was possible she'd be done before him or after him and the other would have to head home. She really wanted to see him before they parted for break. It was her hope that they would run into each other before she had to leave campus. If not, it would be a whole month and a half before they could hang out again.

What Botan hadn't known was that her hope was Shuichi's as well. He had sort of kept track of her schedule from the things she had told him, and he had been waiting quite a while to make his move.

He found Botan fascinating, sweet, and funny and, though he had learned a lot about her from the moments they spent time together, he wanted to know more. He was hoping that he would be able to catch her when she finished her final. That way they could talk without the pressure of school added onto their conversations. He had given her advice, yes, but he still didn't know everything that he wanted to: her hopes, her dreams, and what made her who she was.

It was the reason he rushed through his last final, to catch her before she headed home. He surprised his teacher by making a break from the classroom, slamming the paper down on the man's desk. He hadn't even responded to the professor when he nervously told him to have a good break.

Botan was outside of her building after her last final waiting for the shuttle to come and pick her up. It was starting to snow, and she really didn't want to get stuck there for the night. It was supposed to stop in a few hours, and she was tempted to wait around, but there was nothing much for her to do there except sit in her car and wait.

"Botan!"

The girl froze slightly before looking around trying to find the one who called her. Eventually, her eyes caught sight of Shuichi running across the street waving to her. She smiled at her friend and waved back shyly. When he had reached her, she could tell he was out of breath and wondered how long he had been running for.

"I'm glad I caught you," he said. "How are your finals going?"

"Well, they're gone," she returned with a small grin on her face. "I just got out of my last one."

"What a coincidence," he remarked. "I just finished my last as well. I was actually hoping to go out somewhere and celebrate. Would you like to join me?"

Botan thought about it for a moment and could only see positives. She was quite hungry, and she knew she wouldn't eat until she returned home. By the time they finished eating, the snow would stop and it would be safer for her to travel home. "I'd like that," she agreed. "Just let me text my mother that I'll head home after the snow clears."

Shuichi nodded and watched as she let her mother know what was going on. The two of them then walked to his parking lot. He promised to drive her to hers when they returned from the restaurant, and then the two of them headed off to celebrate their winter freedom.

* * *

A/N: So this is a short chapter in my opinion. I would have made it longer, but I figured I'd put the restaurant scene in a chapter all its own. After all, that what the scene I dreamt during finals week. I feel that's appropriate. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you will enjoy the next one just as much.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Botan had been having a very good time with Shuichi. The two of them had been talking for hours. They had already eaten, and Shuichi had asked for some privacy for a while. Neither of them wanted to leave yet.

He had brought her to a pretty ritzy looking place, but the clientele seemed so casual. The place actually made her a bit nervous, especially because there were no prices on the menu. He had ordered for her, and Botan trusted him so she didn't mind. She was sure he wouldn't order her something she couldn't afford.

It was pretty casual and relaxing considering the two of them completed their finals for the semester that day. Spending time with her friend was actually nice considering there wasn't the added pressure of school. They were officially on break, and they had a couple of weeks before the next semester picked up again. After that semester, Botan would be graduating and receive a master's degree. After that, she had no idea what her life had in store for her.

"So what made you choose biology?" Shuichi had asked her. He was genuinely curious as to why Botan had picked that subject, considering she loved music so much.

"It's easy for me," she admitted. "For a long time, I didn't get it, but I blame the teacher I had in high school. Once I was in college, it was so much easier to understand. My mother teaches biology and works in lab at a community college, so I guess it's just in my blood. Why botany?"

Shuichi released a slight chuckle. "Well, you may laugh," he stated with humor.

Botan smiled at him. "Try me."

"My grandfather was an apothecary, forming medicines out of herbs and other plants," he replied. "It's a dying art, but the general basis still stands. The only way to understand how plants can work as medicines is to research them and their chemical properties. It's always fascinated me."

"You really like working on things your family has careers in, don't you?" Botan asked remembering how he said he was assisting his stepfather with his business.

"I could say the same for you," he pointed out. "Truth be told, I would have assumed you would go the music route."

"That's…just a hobby," Botan said becoming slightly saddened and looking away from him. Shuichi's eyes widened, not knowing what set Botan off. She seemed to notice the trance she had fallen into and snapped out of it. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "It's just…my father…I always wanted him to come to my concerts and recitals, but he never did. Eventually, I stopped with performing since I didn't have as much time, so now it's more of just something I do. Music usually helps me to distract myself. Though it's getting increasingly harder to find songs that don't remind me about my life and situation…"

Shuichi nodded in understanding. That actually made sense to him. Before they could continue with their discussion, the waitress came back with the check and politely told Shuichi that there was no rush. Shuichi thanked her and went to reach for the bill, but Botan beat him to it.

"Okay, so let's see how much I…" She opened the billfold and her face paled. "Owe…you…for dinner…" Botan looked at the final total and it was way more expensive than she had expected, about $150 and change. Her mouth dropped open as she went to see what cost so much. _Thirty dollars for a bottle of water for the table?_ And that wasn't even the food!

Then her face fell and she looked over to Shuichi who was only blinking at her, stunned for some reason. Unbeknownst to her, he was stunned that she even reached for the bill, but then he realized that his true motive may not have been known. He had only asked her to dinner. The girl probably assumed they were splitting the bill like they normally did. "Shuichi," she breathed out, her voice full of regret. "I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea it was going to be this much. I don't have enough to cover…"

"Botan," Shuichi stopped her, "maybe I should have made my intent a bit clearer. When I asked you to dinner, it was not just to hang out. I had meant this to be a date. I planned on paying for this from the start."

Botan's mouth dropped open in surprise before she looked back to the bill. "Shuichi…it's so expensive, though." Shuichi chuckled and Botan's eyes snapped back to him. "What?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Botan," he assured her. "My family is fairly wealthy, and I have been working for my stepfather for a long time. I have more than enough to cover this. This place is actually a restaurant I frequent with my parents, and one of my favorites. I wanted to share that with you."

"Uh…oh," came Botan's reply as she blushed. She quickly placed the billfold back onto the table and looked at her apparent date sheepishly. "Um, thank you…I didn't mean any disrespect about the cost. It's just that my mom and I…well, we never, I mean we always…"

Shuichi reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You don't have to explain," he told her. "Believe me; I understand. When it was just my mother and me, things were not very easy. I have not forgotten what that was like."

"Heh," Botan laughed slightly. "A down-to-earth rich guy. I think you broke the stereotype, Shuichi."

"I try," he replied, a smile gracing his features. "I'm glad that you came with me tonight."

"I…thank you," Botan said again, truly appreciating what Shuichi was doing. "Um, so a date, huh?"

Shuichi nodded once. "I've been interested in you for a while. I knew school and the commute kept you busy, though, and you already had a lot on your plate. I did not want to add to it."

Botan was still slightly in shock that she had been out on a date and hadn't even known it. She hadn't truly dated guys in that past. Only some guy in high school that barely counted as a relationship. There were many excuses she could use to explain this, school being the first and foremost, the constant moving being the second. But the reality always hit her, and it was something she had only entrusted to her best friend whom she tried to date many years before. They had both had their issues, and they settled for being friends.

No, school and moving were part of her reasoning, but the major reason was due to one simple fact. Botan had trust issues, and most of the time those issues were directed towards men.

It wasn't fair, she knew, but years of emotional abuse from her father left her fearful of any guy's intentions. She had tried to free herself of those issues with her best friend, since she trusted him so much, but the truth was her trust lied in him because they grew up together and their families were close. Had they both been in a good place, it may have worked, but it probably never could. Her friend finally got his life together, with a longtime girlfriend whom he loved. She was still working out kinks of her own. She hoped one day she could process through those emotions, but right now she had the grief to get through.

Shuichi had, though, kept her best interests in mind. He had indirectly stated that he was concerned for her and hadn't wanted to put any added stress on her, and that alone made her feel better about his intentions. Finally, she flashed him a smile and said, "I appreciate that."

Shuichi smiled at her and took her hand in his, not saying anything else. They were quiet for a short time before the waitress came to take billfold back. "We should head out now," Shuichi suggested. "I believe it has finally stopped snowing."

Botan looked out the window and realized that he was right. Silently, she left with him and he escorted her to his car. They were reluctant to say goodbye to each other, Botan still not knowing what her own thoughts were regarding his intentions. He reminded her that she had his number and could text or call over the break if she needed or wanted to talk, and then wished her safe travels home. He requested something that Botan understood well, a text once she was safely at home.

He smoothly pulled her in for a hug which made Botan tense, but she relaxed once the initial shock left her. "Have a good break," Shuichi whispered in her ear.

"You too," Botan replied softly. "Thank you again."

"There's no reason to thank me," he assured her. "I wanted to do this. Let me know when you get back. If you need help with moving in, I have a friend and we could help."

Botan smiled at him. "I'll keep that in mind," she agreed. "You have a good break too."

Botan pulled away from him and got into her own car before letting out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Turning on the car, she knew that everything about her already changing life had just changed more. It terrified her, but at the same time she knew this needed to happen. She was, however, certain about one thing.

The ride home was going to be a long one.

Shuichi waited for Botan to pull out and leave, wanting to make sure she got off campus safely. It was quite dark now, but the snow had stopped so she was leaving in much better conditions. He was relieved that he had been able to keep her there a little longer so that she would have a safer drive home.

Botan had confided a lot in Shuichi, as well as the reason her father passed away. It was a car accident, something completely earthshattering and unexpected for a girl who had always hoped to establish a relationship with the man. She hated how long the drive was considering she wasn't that crazy about cars at the moment. It would be good for her to live closer and only be down the street from the campus. That way, she wouldn't be as exhausted as she had been. She could rest more and have time to enjoy herself. She deserved that much after all she had been through.

Botan needed to be able to move on instead of feeling stuck. She needed someone to show her that she wouldn't always be hindered or defined by the loss she experienced. She needed a shoulder to cry on when she was miserable and someone to laugh with when she felt joy. He wanted to be that person, and he really hoped that she would let him.

He couldn't wait for break to be over.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I appreciate it :D

* * *

Botan looked at her phone and sighed. She kept looking at Shuichi's number, but couldn't bring herself to text him back. After their date, the blue-haired girl had felt awkward. It was not how she had been expecting to start her winter break.

"Botan, come on," her cousin called outside the guest room of her grandparents' house. "Dinner's ready."

"I'll be right there," she answered before glancing at Shuichi's number one last time. She scoffed at her own ridiculous worries and then left the room. What she needed now was to spend some time with her family. She could worry about a potential relationship with her friend later. Definitely not that complicated…

* * *

Shuichi was sitting in the living room watching his stepbrother play with their young cousins. He was showing them how to build pretty advanced things out of Legos. The redhead chuckled when one of the children pretended to be a monster, knocking down the building. The lesson then turned into a game of cat and mouse before Shuichi was left alone in the room with his book.

He placed his book down on the end table and glanced at his phone. It had already been about a week into the vacation and he had hardly heard from Botan. A frown set itself on his lips, having hoped to hear from her during the break. He had thought about texting her, but every time he was close, someone dragged him off to do something else. Right now, though, he had plenty of time to send a quick text checking on how she was doing.

The second he grabbed his phone, his stepfather, Kazuya Hatanaka, entered the living room. "Hey, Shuichi, would you mind doing me a favor?"

Shuichi mentally sighed, but looked very composed and smiled as he answered. "What do you need?"

"I need some documents picked up at the office that I need to review in the next few days, and the office is closed for tomorrow," his stepfather explained. "Could you pick them up? I'm needed in the kitchen with your mother."

"Of course," the redhead answered. "I'll leave momentarily. I just need to-"

"You should go right now. A storm is supposed to hit tonight."

Shuichi forced a grin, and nodded. "Sure. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without a blizzard."

"Heh, you're right about that," Kazuya replied. "Hurry back."

Shuichi nodded and stood up from the couch, grabbing his keys from the table. Things like this had been happening a lot lately. His stepfather was becoming more forgetful and left many things at work. Other times, his mother would need help with kitchen work and such. After all, she was still recovering from an illness that struck her a long time ago and no one wanted her doing too much. Shuichi needed to make some concessions. After all, his family was very important to him, so there was only so much he could do. He just hoped that he'd be able to speak to Botan soon. He was missing the girl he had befriended, and he wondered if she had given anymore thought regarding the progression of their relationship.

* * *

It was the hardest Christmas with her father's family, by far. Botan, though used to the fact that her father never came to Christmases with their family often, felt even emptier than the past Christmases. It was one thing when her father chose not to show up, but now he never could. And if Botan thought she was the only one struggling, she would have been wrong. She kept looking over to her stepmother sitting in the corner away from everyone, and her little brother shyly smiling as their cousins tried to engage him.

Botan entered the kitchen, grabbing one of her grandmother's cookies. She took a few nibbles, not really hungry but trying to replace the bitter taste in her mouth with sweets. Her grandmother came up behind her, hugging her close to her knowing just how much Botan was suffering. "I…can I go upstairs and lie down?" Botan requested.

"Of course, sweetie," her grandmother replied. "I'll send someone to come get you when we open gifts."

"Thank you," the girl murmured.

Botan headed upstairs, back to her room, and basically threw herself on the bed. She fought so hard to keep the tears from falling, to keep herself from crying again. She absolutely hated it when she cried, and her father had hated that, too. In fact, he told her once that he hated her emotions and didn't have to put up with them. Well, now he had no choice. He wasn't there to stop her, but on another spiritual plain. Botan was the one who had to put up with them, and she hated them just as much as he did.

She opened her eyes and saw her phone lying there, remembering that she would normally contact Shuichi when she felt as low as she was in that moment. He would usually say something smooth yet silly, making her laugh at his contradictory nature, or he would talk about something interesting just distracting her with the sound of his voice. Sure, there was an awkwardness between them now, or at least in her mind, but she really needed to hear his voice. She only hoped she wasn't interrupting his Christmas Eve with his family.

" _Hello?"_

Botan felt instant relief when she heard his soft, warm voice. "Hey, Shuichi," she greeted. "How are you doing?"

Shuichi smiled when he heard Botan's innocent voice. He had just gotten back with the files for his stepfather and had handed them off. He was going to go to his room for a bit, hoping to have some alone time to talk to the girl he liked. It was a welcome surprise to have gotten his wish. "I'm well. I actually just got back from running an errand for Kazuya. What about you? I haven't heard from you in a while."

Botan bit her lip and then grew shy. "Yeah, sorry about that… I've been sort of in a not good place. You know, the first Christmas and such. The good news was that I got to spend time with my brother. Just, right now our cousins are taking care of him, and I just can't keep up the guise of everything being okay. I needed an escape."

Shuichi grew serious and frowned. "I wish I was there with you," he stated sincerely. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You're doing it," Botan told him. "I just needed a friend to talk to." Botan realized what she said and then grew nervous. "Um, I didn't mean it like that. I'm not saying that I'm not interested in-"

Shuichi's chuckle cut her off. _"Don't worry, Botan,"_ he assured her. _"I understand what you meant. I know that you're probably still taking time to think about it all. Please, don't put any extra pressure on yourself. I'm perfectly content in just seeing how everything plays out if you are."_

She smiled at that, thankful that Shuichi really wasn't trying to rush her into a relationship. He had apparently had feelings for her during the semester and kept them buried until after finals were over. He was giving her time to think about it, and wasn't even planning on forcing a relationship along when the next semester started. He was making this seem so laidback, and Botan was thankful for that. "I'd like that," she told him. "So, what kind of errand were you running?"

Shuichi understood what Botan was trying to do. She needed a distraction from her life at the moment, and she was coming to him. "Nothing major," he stated. "My stepfather just forgot some reports he needed to go over."

" _What are the reports for?"_

"I haven't the faintest idea," Shuichi teased suavely, making Botan laugh. "In all honesty, though, I'm not sure. I'm not _that_ into the company's affairs. I've just been looking at some of the company numbers. He may be merging with a company sometime in the spring. Other than that I'm just as in the dark as you, I'm afraid."

" _Eh, that's okay,"_ Botan replied. _"I-"_

Shuichi could hear someone knocking on Botan's door through the received. _"Cuz!"_ someone shouted. _"Present time! Get down here!"_

Botan sighed in frustration, but said, _"I guess we'll talk another day. They're waiting on me."_

"I understand," Shuichi responded. "My stepbrother will probably come to get me soon as well. Have a good time with your family, as much as you can."

" _I will."_

"Merry Christmas, Botan."

Botan's heart caught in her throat as she heard the intensity and sentimentality behind her friend's words. "Merry Christmas, Shuichi."

The woman ended the call and looked to her phone is surprise. She had felt something inside her stir just moments ago when Shuichi wished her well. It was different than anything she had ever felt before.

"Seriously, Botan, come downstairs," her cousin joked.

Botan, finally able to smile a genuine smile, opened the door and said, "Last one down there is a rotten egg."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Shuichi was ready for this new semester. He knew he'd be seeing Botan again which was a huge plus for him. Thoughts of the blue-haired woman plagued his mind, and even his best friend was tired of hearing about her. It was no surprise that once Botan had sent him her address, he was already on his way ready to help her with unpacking.

He saw Botan talking with her mother outside as two guys were unloading the truck. Shuichi was stunned that he actually knew the guys. How…well, that was his secret.

Botan noticed him instantly and smiled brightly. It was then that he saw her say something to her mother before the older woman turned to see him. She sent him a wave, and he smiled and nodded in return. Botan, though, did something different. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It had taken him by surprise, but he managed to slowly curl his arms around her waist. She didn't let go right away, so his grip tightened bringing her closer to him. "I didn't expect you to come over today," she said to him.

"I thought it would be good to come in case you needed help unpacking and getting settled in," Shuichi returned.

"Thank you," Botan replied against his shoulder. "I…I thought about it."

Though Shuichi could normally keep his cool, he tensed slightly, surprised to hear what he was. The last time they talked, only the week before at Christmas, Botan didn't seem very certain. He didn't know what changed in the week, but he wouldn't question it. "And?"

"I still have many issues that I need to work out," Botan admitted, "and I had always planned to work on them _before_ ever trying to date someone. But part of me…part of me really wants to try this, but I'll only agree if you're willing to date me even though I'm so broken."

"You aren't broken," Shuichi told her, but Botan tried to reason he didn't know how deep her problems ran. It didn't matter to him, though. He really liked and cared about her. He would be able to help her through her issues. "Once you get settled, we should make it official by going on a date you are actually aware of."

Botan blushed slightly. "Shuichi, you don't have to take me out all the time or spend money on me."

"I want to," the redhead replied, "but if you want something low key, we can always go get something simple like ice cream."

The girl smiled and said, "That sounds more my speed."

"Hey, Botan! What room do you need the futon in?"

Both Botan's and Shuichi's attention turned to Yusuke and the look of shock on Yusuke's face was evident. He ended up forcing a smile and walked over to them. "So, you're the guy Botan was talking about. It's nice to meet you, _Shuichi_."

"And you must be the friend she always mentions," Shuichi said smoothly. "I don't believe I caught your name."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Botan stated with a slight laugh, oblivious to the tension between the two boys. "Shuichi, this is my best friend, Yusuke Urameshi. His friend Kazuma Kuwabara is also helping us." She then looked over to Yusuke. "And to answer your question, the futon needs to go in the room where you boys put my desk."

"Ah, so a study futon," Yusuke teased. "That's cool. We'll get right on that. Why don't you go help your mom get some more of the kitchen stuff in and start unpacking it? We have enough manpower to finish unloading the big stuff."

"Well, okay," Botan stated, "but we still have little stuff to worry about."

"I'm sure Shuichi here," Yusuke said, looping his arm around patting the redhead's back a bit hard, "won't mind helping you with that. I'll tell him where the stuff goes."

"Thanks, Yusuke," Botan replied before smiling at Shuichi and heading into the apartment.

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Yusuke asked Shuichi once they were alone. "I thought you lived a few towns over."

"My parents live here and I go to school with Botan," Shuichi stated. "By the way, thank you for not saying anything."

"Sure, Kurama," Yusuke scoffed. "Seriously, what are you thinking? From what Botan's told me, you have a good life. Why would you risk it fighting in the underground rings with us? I mean, you know we can all handle ourselves."

"It's just an escape, nothing more," Shuichi stated. "Something I do not wish to inform Botan of right this second. Maybe in a month or so."

"Yeah, maybe," Yusuke replied. "I mean, hell, I still haven't told Keiko and we've been dating for years now. Anyway, as for you, just…go easy on her, and be prepared for a lot of self-loathing."

"Self-loathing?" Shuichi asked, not entirely sure what Yusuke was telling him. "I assure you, dating her would not cause me to loathe myself."

"I wasn't talking about you…"

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara called out. "Come on! We need to get all this furniture in before it gets dark!"

Yusuke turned to glare at his friend. "I'm comin'!" He shouted before turning back to Shuichi. "Shall we?"

* * *

Botan was so thankful that her mother and friends had made the long trip with her to get her set up in the two bedroom apartment. It pained her greatly, though, that she was paying for the place with money she had gotten from the life insurance policy. Her stepmother had told her that the money was for school expenses and anything else she might need, but it still ripped her heart out any time she'd have to use it, mainly because her father had barely helped her with schooling or medical finances when she was really desperate.

He never helped her more than what the courts stated. When she turned twenty-one, he no longer had to assist with medical, but he could have left her on his insurance until she was twenty-six. He decided to take her off right before she needed knee surgery telling her that she needed to become an independent adult. It was pretty hard to accomplish that when one was laid up and needed assistance just to go to the bathroom or get her hair washed. It had been a horribly emotional and painful time for her, and it was around that time where the father had torn his daughter apart.

But she didn't want to think about any of that now. She didn't want to feel guilty for using the means that was left to her. She really didn't want to feel guilt at all. She had done everything to make the man proud of her and win his affections. It wasn't her fault that he had chosen to hurt her, even though sometimes she'd have trouble believing that.

Yusuke and her mother both knew how deep her issues ran. Botan was a generally happy person, but when someone tore her to shreds like her father had, she would wilt and try to figure out what she had done wrong or how to fix it. Her father had always blamed her for things beyond her control, and it led her to blame herself for everything as well. Her stress at school was because she feared not getting good grades. If she didn't get good grades, she felt as if her world would crumble because clearly her father was right in all of his insults.

She figured, however horrible it sounded, that some good did come out of this tragedy. She did get to talk to her half-brother more now. Her stepmother was much nicer to her and caring, no longer accusing her of identity theft or other nonsense. She missed her father immensely, but it would have never gotten better. She had only recently come to terms with the fact that, despite all he did and said to her, he did love her. She figured that out when she had dreams of her father and just felt love. They weren't much to most people, but Botan could truly feel her father with her in those dreams.

She also no longer had to hold herself to impossible standards of perfection, nor did she need to figure out what she would say to the man the next time they saw each other…if that would have even happened with how often her father avoided his own family because of her presence. It gave her more time to relax her mind because she wasn't constantly thinking or waiting for the next painful attack. Things were better for her now that he was gone, and she hated that.

The guilt she felt any time that thought entered her mind left her feeling weak and like a terrible person. Her mother assured her that it was okay for her to feel that way. After all, she was no longer being emotionally abused. She was focusing on the things she needed to do. It was _not_ her fault that her father had made the choices he did. They couldn't change anything. The way she felt was not wrong. She was simply feeling relief now that she wouldn't be hurt that way again. It did not make the feelings of guilt lessen.

"So, how does it feel to be moved in?"

Botan forced a smile to appear on her face. She had almost forgotten that Shuichi was still there. Her mother and friends had left her to return home, but Shuichi had stayed to keep her company. "Pretty good," Botan replied. "I'm glad I at least have a few days to get my books and some school supplies."

"I also have to go shopping for supplies," Shuichi told her. "We could go tomorrow. I'm sure you're in need of groceries, as well."

Botan nodded. "Yeah…comes with the territory of just moving in. Thank goodness mom decided to bring toilet paper and soap or I would have been really upset."

It took Botan by surprise when Shuichi wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. "Don't worry," he comforted. "As you said, there's still time to get settled in. And I will help you so that you don't need to do it alone. I know how overwhelming moving can be."

Botan was once again reminded that Shuichi probably understood the things she was going through better than anyone else. It made her wonder if he and his mother were forced to move out of their house after his father passed away. For now, though, she was through thinking about lost fathers. Instead, she listened to Shuichi's heartbeat and was lulled to sleep.

Shuichi couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face when he heard Botan's soft snores. The girl was most likely drained from all of her moving escapades. He looked at his watch and saw that they still had some time to kill before dinnertime came around. He had promised only to take her for ice cream, but she needed to eat a substantial meal. He would inform her after her nap that they would go to a small café that served sandwiches and ice cream. Though the place was a bit pricey by Botan's standards, she'd have no choice but to accept.

He glanced down at her sleeping form, the smile never leaving his face. It was really great to have Botan back, especially now that she had accepted a relationship between the two of them. This semester was going to be a good one.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Yet another semester was starting, and Botan, once again, was early to her first class. She glanced at her printed schedule once more and released a sigh. It was really terrible that her department hadn't offered many classes the semester prior. She was taking the majority of her classes during the current semester. Sixteen credits to complete her master's. She was honestly relieved that she had only been offered a master's program without a thesis. If she had to work on a research project on top of this, other than that one class where she worked with a doctor in the department, her head would be spinning. It already was. It would just be too much to add onto her plate.

Sitting alone in silence allowed her to mentally prepare for the day, though she was missing her morning talks with Shuichi. She knew they would end up in separate classes. Though their degrees were similar, his was more focus and contrite while hers was broad. She knew it would free her up more for the future, giving her access to lots of doors. That _one_ door, though, eluded her. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do.

Part of Botan wanted to figure her life out already. Her life had always been chaotic, and now was no exception. A frown marred her face as she pondered whether she really should have accepted Shuichi's desire to date her. Having a relationship would only complicate things when she was already a mess, and she didn't know if she could do that to Shuichi either, suffocating him with her problems like that.

A text came over her phone which vibrated against her desk, surprisingly from the aforementioned man. _"I hope you are having a good morning,"_ it read. _"Class is quite lonely without you."_

Beside herself, Botan released a chuckle and covered her mouth. She couldn't help the grin that broke out and realized that her previous thoughts were silly. _"Good morning to you, too,"_ she replied. _"It's going okay, but yes, I do miss our conversations."_

* * *

A warm, sincere smile plastered itself on the redhead's face. He was still in class, sitting in the back this time. Why had he chosen a different seating arrangement? Well, the phone in his hand was the reason. The class he was in was a simple one, the perfect way to start a hectic morning, but what Shuichi really wanted was to talk to Botan.

It had been a week since Botan had been moved in, and Shuichi had made it a point to take her out or bring food back to her place, which she would always seem to be irritated by. Shuichi didn't mind, knowing full well that she appreciated what he did. She was only concerned about him doing it. She'd have to get used to the fact that he preferred to spoil her. Really, when there was all of this money he accumulated between helping his stepfather, his allowance, and the underground fighting, it was best to spend it on another. Besides, he wanted to make Botan's life easier and also treat her the way she should have always been treated.

Though he had been very understanding to her emotions regarding the loss of her father, he also had no respect for the person the man had been. He had done a lot to hurt his daughter and was lucky that someone like her even cared about the loss and grieved for him. No one would have blamed her had she decided to wash her hands clean of the situation and put him in the back of her mind for the rest of her life.

Of course, Shuichi supported her. He listened and gave her advice while holding her when she cried. They hadn't been dating for that long, but she had been very upset the first few days alone in her empty apartment, another reason why he frequented there. If there was a way he could ease her distress, he would do it. He cared about her, after all.

Still, he worried for her. Grieving was one thing. Letting oneself become consumed by guilt for matters they had no control in was another. She would tell him of times where she tried to be perfect, hoping that she would earn her father's affections. That was too much to put on herself. She was slowly starting to understand she didn't need to be perfect. No one was perfect.

" _What time do your classes end? Or do you get a break in between? We could go to lunch."_

Moments passed when he got a response and he nearly laughed out loud in his class. _"I'll only go if I can pay for myself…not that I don't appreciate you taking me out and all…just, well…"_

He shook silently in his seat, forcing himself not to chuckle out loud. She was just too adorable sometimes. A lovely mix between assertive and shy with a touch of innocence that only enhanced her beauty to him. _"Sounds like a plan. What time?"_

" _How about 12:15?"_

" _Sounds perfect. I look forward to it."_

" _See you then."_

And their not-a-date date was set. Glancing at the time, Shuichi frowned that was still four hours away. Well, he guessed it couldn't be helped. They did have classes after all. Besides, it did give him time to think of how he was going to ask her out to something else, something big and special. Something he knew that if she were given the chance, she'd probably run in the opposite direction from sheer nervousness.

God, he loved this woman.

* * *

Botan looked around the school cafeteria for her boyfriend and was easily able to spot his red hair. He was already waiting in line for the Chinese restaurant there, making her smile. How is it he always knew what she was in the mood for?

She joined him on line, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. A dusting of red splayed across her cheeks and she looked up at him nervously. "I missed you," he told her, not caring if that sounded strange to her or anyone else.

Botan smiled at him and said, "Truthfully, I missed you, too. It's kind of funny since we only saw each other yesterday."

Shuichi had to check himself, for he almost said something that Botan with her innocence would have either taken the wrong way or completely missed it entirely. He almost said, "I guess that means we need to see more of each other." Instead, he settled for, "I guess that means we need to spend more time together."

"Between the classes I have today and the lab I'm working in, I don't know what to do. Plus, I have another class on Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon, and don't even get me started on the master's final. They only just told me about it, and that I had to prepare a presentation on anything that strikes my interest. The last time they told me that last semester, the presentation ended up having issues."

"I'm sure you did the best you could when they gave you no direction," Shuichi returned. He remembered how upset she had been by that. The teacher did give her an A, but that was because he realized that her committee, him being one of the members, dropped the ball with her and left her to her own devices. The experience alone, though, had probably been very traumatizing.

"That doesn't make it any easier," she replied before sighing. "I guess I can only wait and see once I have my committee meeting."

"Exactly," Shuichi murmured softly. He then looked up in front of them. "Oh, look, we're next."

The two of them had gotten their lunches and found a place to sit. Once they had begun eating, Shuichi began to extend his invitation. "So, what are you doing this weekend?"

"With any luck, I'll be sleeping in and then making flashcards," Botan answered.

The look of surprise took over Shuichi's features. "Already?"

Botan nodded. "I already have a quiz next week in one class, and we already have a ton of notes. In my other classes, well…again, a lot of notes, and for one we have to do a group presentation on a journal article. Our groups are made up of a grad student, AKA me, and then two undergraduates and the grad students are supposed to lead them. I'm still waiting to see who my group members are and when we go. I'm just hoping we're not the group that gets next Friday."

A frown marred his features, but he was not deterred. "It sounds like you are already in need of a break. I would like to take you out Friday night into Saturday if that is all right?"

"An overnight thing?" Botan asked hesitantly. "Isn't it a little soon for that. We only started really dating a little over a week ago."

His smile returned. "It's a banquet for my stepfather's company and it's quite far away. I would like it if you would be my date. And don't stress about it being overnight too much. The hotel room we have has separate beds. I wouldn't put that on you when you are already stressed."

Botan's expression softened as she thought of how amazing Shuichi was. He seemed to know what she was thinking or feeling before she could even voice it, just from her slight hesitation. "Are you sure you want me going with you?"

"Yes," he stated sincerely, "very much so."

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll go." Then she thought of something. "Oh my God, no…I can't go. I don't have anything to wear."

Shuichi chuckled at her delayed reaction. "Don't worry about that. I can take care of it."

"No," Botan rejected. "You've already done enough for me."

"I insist, Botan," Shuichi countered. "If not having something to wear is the only problem here, I could easily correct it. Please. I want you to be with me."

She couldn't say "no." She had to look away, even. The look on Shuichi's face was pleading, something that she rarely ever saw in him. She couldn't deny him what he really wanted, her company at a corporate banquet. He was offering to buy her a dress when she had none, and that was that. It was no big deal to him, probably because she could probably wear her usual sweats and a t-shirt and he'd be happy that she was just there. She could probably wear her formal blouse and dress pants and that would be enough for him, but for her, she knew she'd be judged the moment she walked in.

"Please, let's not go somewhere expensive," she surrendered. "We can go right after we eat as long as you don't have another class."

His lips twitched upward. "I don't have another class," he told her. "That sounds like a plan. For now, let's enjoy our meal."

Botan nodded, but she felt slightly numb. She felt so bad that he would, once again, be spending money on her. He really didn't need to do that, but fighting him on it would be a whole other issue that she didn't want to deal with. Besides, it might be kind of nice looking for something to wear with him. He could tell her what was acceptable for these kinds of events and what wasn't. She would be stepping into his world, after all. She knew he would guide her through it.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Botan looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her appearance. She could not believe she was away with a guy in a hotel room getting ready for some type of fancy, corporate banquet. She was actually meeting his parents! Sure, she probably would have met them eventually even if she and Shuichi were just friends, but they weren't just friends anymore. They weren't even just seeing each other. They were dating. He was her boyfriend, and she was his girlfriend. He was perfect, and she was well…

She tried to shake herself free of that attitude. Years of emotional abuse left Botan feeling under-confident and inadequate. It was not a healthy attitude to have, but she just couldn't help it. She had truly been doing better with her self-loathing than ever before, but she still had a long way to go.

Distracted by her appearance and thoughts, Botan didn't notice Shuichi slip behind her until she felt his hands on her arms and gasped. His hands traced up and down her bare shoulders before she felt him putting something around her neck. When he removed his hands, Botan realized that he had given her a necklace, a simple heart pendant made from opal encrusted with silver roses holding the heart in place. Her eyes relayed a silent "thank you."

Shuichi smiled at her and offered his hand. "Shall we?"

"Sure," she said, doing her best not to squeak in nervousness.

Shuichi's smooth chuckle reached her ears, and she instantly felt a strange sense of calm consume her. Her nerves left her as he smiled down at her, and her heart nearly stopped beating as he escorted her out of the room saying, "Do not worry so much. You look beautiful, Botan."

Did she mention before that her boyfriend was perfect?

* * *

The place was very crowded, which was very overwhelming for Botan. She didn't know how Shuichi handled these events, especially since he wasn't very apt to dealing with the masses at school. Maybe, this is why he wanted her to be there with him, because there were times even around campus where she would center him and keep his mind off the crowd. He had once confided in her that usually as a child, he would be very withdrawn during these events and go off on his own somewhere which always left his mother feeling disappointed.

Speaking of which…

"Shuichi! Over here!"

Botan's heart stopped beating right before it started hammering in her chest. She tensed, yet felt Shuichi's arm guiding her, squeezing her reassuringly. Did it really have to be this intimidating meeting a boyfriend's parents?

Shuichi had to force himself not to laugh at Botan's discomfort. He hadn't expected her to get this nervous meeting his mother and stepfather. He had told her much about them as she had about her mother. Sure, there would always be some sort of intimidation, but surely not this much. "Everything is fine," he whispered suavely in her ear.

Botan shivered slightly, but still was wound up as they finally came up to Shuichi's parents. "Glad to see you're all settled in," Kazuya stated as he saw his stepson and his date. He smiled warmly at the girl. "And you must be Botan, right?" He then noticed her stiff posture. "Are you all right?"

That alone made Botan's anxiety level go way up. Of course, Shuichi's mother, Shiori, laughed lightly. "Come, now, dear," she murmured. "The girl is probably as frightened as I was when you brought me to one of these things to meet _your_ parents." Kazuya chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as the mother greeted Botan with a warm smile. "It is very nice to meet you, Botan," she told the girl. "Shuichi has not been able to stop talking about you."

"Mother," Shuichi murmured softly, clearing his throat in his nervousness. He glanced over to Botan who looked very surprised by his mother's revelation.

"We must be fair, Shuichi," she teased him with a wink. Her son's expression flattened and he looked completely unamused. It was something he was used to with his mother. Any time his stepbrother showed interest in a girl and brought her over, the girl would always feel uncomfortable. Being a woman herself, his mother always attempted to even the score by making her son share in the discomfort. Shuichi had never really been interested in anyone, so he never had to deal with it. It bothered him when he didn't come off as cool and collected, though Botan relaxed significantly so he figured he could deal with having his pride wounded a little bit. A smile graced his lips as he laced their fingers together and returned to conversation with his parents.

Botan did not like being the center of attention and, more recently, it became unbearable. Now, she had the attention of both of her boyfriend's parents. The four of them sat down at one of the tables. They became immersed in conversation, mostly asking Botan about her education, her goals, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes…she had their full attention.

Shuichi could sense Botan's uneasiness and offered her his hand. There were many couples on the dancefloor, so attention would not be solely on them. "Excuse us," he said to his parents, taking Botan's hand.

Botan was relieved that Shuichi was excusing them, but she had no idea why he was until he led her out onto the dancefloor. She let out a breath of relief and leaned against his shoulder as he began to rock them to the music. "That bad, huh?" he teased her.

"Your parents are wonderful," Botan assured him, pulling back and smiling sadly, "but I…I'm not sure if I'm what they expected."

Shuichi was confused by her words as he slid one hand down to her lower back and the other to her hair. "I don't know what you mean by that, but you heard my mother. As much as I wish that she hadn't told you, I honestly do talk about you all the time. You were exactly what they expected."

"But I'm so…so simple and plain," she stated, not meeting his eyes. "All of this…it's all new to me."

"As it was to us," Shuichi reminded her. "Remember, my mother and I didn't live this way when I was younger or growing up. It was only after she met Kazuya, and it was a bit of culture shock to us as well. We went from struggling and living on the essentials to having so much money we didn't know what to do with it. Because of our experiences, though, we've done a lot for others with that money. We've donated, saved it for the future. I'm using a lot of mine to pay for tuition among other things. And most recently, I've been able to add something to that list. I've been able to treat you the way I believe you should have always been treated."

"I'm not materialistic," Botan murmured, leaning against his shoulder again.

"No, you're not," Shuichi agreed. "And I know gifts and taking you out isn't what draws you to me, either. I'm not trying to buy you or anything. There are just things I see that I know you'll like, and as for going out, I just want to spend time with you and there are times where I know you can't afford it. And then you worry about finances if you think about going…I don't want you to have to worry or overthink about petty stuff like that, which is why I do it."

"I understand, but I'm still not used to it. How about this, though? Next Sunday, how about you come over to my house, and we can watch the football games and I'll cook stuff."

Shuichi smiled at her. "I would like that very much, Botan," he accepted smoothly. "Now…I know you just started that to change the subject, but as for my parents I can tell that they really like you. They've been more engaged with stories of you than any girl Kazuya's son has ever brought home."

Botan blushed slightly and was happy that her face was pressed against Kurama's chest so he wouldn't see. However, he already knew. Botan got very quiet whenever she was embarrassed, just one of the things he noticed about her. A smirk appeared on his face as he forced himself not to laugh. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Botan in a loose hug as they rocked to the remainder of the song.

He was definitely worried about her adjusting to the world that took him years to finally accept, but he at least knew it wasn't enough to chase her away either. Right now, he decided just to focus on that simple act of holding her, and the fact that her proposal for plans the following weekend seemed perfect for the both of them.

The song finally ended as his thoughts went silent, and he decided to lead Botan outside to admire the sunset and scenery. He figured she could use a little more time away from his parents. He knew that they had taken a very big step this weekend, taking a trip together and meeting his parents in a very expensive hotel. For someone like Botan, and even for him, that type of stuff was far into the future of their relationship, yet it was happening at the very beginning. He hadn't been trying to rush things, but he hadn't wanted to go to the benefit alone. Had he gone alone, he would have felt very out of place. Botan kept him centered.

"It's beautiful here," he heard her whispered.

He glanced at her and could see the admiration shining in her eyes along with the muted sun. Yes, it was beautiful there, but she was much more so. And she was his.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

I know it took a really long time to get this chapter up…since January, but I have reasons. One being writer's block. I had the idea for the chapter, but I didn't know where I wanted it to go. Anyway, I also had reinjured my knee…again, and right now I'm sporting a broken ankle. I did have the chapter completed last week, but there was an uploading problem on the site everyone seemed to be having, so I patiently waited. I hope you enjoy it and I will try to be better with updates.

* * *

Botan took a moment to breathe after she placed a tray of snacks among the spread she had laid out on her coffee table. She had spent the morning preparing for Shuichi to come over for the game. It had been a week since the banquet, and the week following had been pretty lax with school work. She still needed to study for her weekly quizzes, though, especially since she already received two failing grades, both which would be dropped. It was disheartening considering how easy the first quiz was, almost everyone getting a perfect score. The teacher had played them, and Botan was concerned of what would happen throughout the semester.

But today she wasn't going to worry about that. Honestly, she just wanted some peace and quiet with her boyfriend. She knew that the next couple of weeks were going to be difficult for she already had tests and presentations to worry about. She never imagined that graduate school would be _this_ difficult. It was the first time she had ever truly struggled academically. After she received her master's, she would be done with schooling. She needed to start living her life and getting out of the school system.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought, a sigh released that came out more like a laugh. Shuichi was right on time, as usual. That always made her feel better about her incessant need to be early. At least she wasn't alone in that sense.

As she opened the door, her bright smile turned into a surprised daze when Shuichi held out a beautiful bouquet of roses, her, and apparently his, favorite flower. She realized she was staring when she heard the man's smooth chuckle. "I'm sorry, come in," she told him before looking at the sky. It looked pretty gloomy out, and it didn't help that it was cold either. He waited for her to close and lock the door before he gestured the flowers to her once more.

"I thought you might like them," he told her. "They're sure to brighten up the room."

"They are lovely," she admired, trying not to think of how much he spent on her yet again. In truth, Botan didn't care about money. As she said, she wasn't materialistic. Shuichi had pegged her from the beginning, understanding how tight money could be in a single-parent household. She never even had to tell him that she and her mother were on food stamps once before for him to know that she paid very close attention to prices while shopping. He just knew that she didn't like to spend frivolously, and that when she ever spent on herself she felt terrible. "Let me go get a vase to put them in."

Shuichi smiled that smile of his that charmed her every time. She nearly walked into the wall, her eyes still staring into his. Managing to catch herself, Botan just chuckled nervously, Shuichi's smile becoming a teasing grin. Though he didn't say anything, he mentally chuckled loving how flustered Botan got whenever he did something nice for her. She truly was a rare find, kind and compassionate with an endearing innocence. She was not someone who could easily be bought or won. This girl had values and tact, something that was refreshing considering many of the girls between middle school and college had thrown themselves at him.

Botan came out with a vase filled with water, and Shuichi helped her arrange the flowers. She smiled at the beautiful display, putting it in the center of the coffee table between the spread of food. It was the first time Shuichi noticed everything there. There were chips with different kinds of dip, Cheetos, pigs in blankets as well as some other hors d'oeuvres. She even had a large bowl with sweet and sour meatballs there. "This is certainly a variety," he stated.

Botan chuckled. "Yeah, mom trained me well for having company during football games. I usually end up making the meatballs, though. Yusuke's mother taught me the recipe."

Shuichi seemed surprised, though Botan didn't know why. "I though you said Yusuke was the chef of the family." Of course, she didn't know that Shuichi knew Yusuke outside of what she had told him. She didn't know that he knew Atsuko had been an alcoholic.

"Yeah, but he had to learn somewhere," Botan reminded him. "His mother cooked occasionally, though usually she was too busy doing…other things…but she taught him enough. When I asked him about the meatballs, though, he said I'd have to ask her myself. It's actually really simple. You make turkey meatballs with breadcrumbs and then you just bake them and then, surprisingly, add them to a mixture of grape jelly and chili sauce."

"That's an interesting combination," Shuichi stated, "but I'm sure they taste delicious."

Botan smiled. "Would you like something to drink? I have a couple beers and some soda in the fridge. Water, too."

"I never pegged you for a beer drinker."

"I'm not," Botan agreed. "There's very few that I like the taste. I'm more of a fruity drink person, or wine, but mom says it's just because I like things sweet."

A warm, contented smile found its way to Shuichi's face. After getting to know Botan the previous semester, he realized that she always liked to have something sweet. "Good to know," he remarked. "I'll just have a water, if you don't mind."

"Alright," the woman replied, exiting the living room. That's when Shuichi looked to the T.V. to view the pregame show. This was just the kind of day he needed to unwind.

His week had been a struggle, mainly because he was busy with his stepfather's company. The man had wanted his stepson to get more involved, despite the degree he was pursuing. He trusted Shuichi, and wanted him to assist him with deals and financial matters until he could begin training his own son. Not wanting to disappoint his mother or her husband, he agreed, but only if it didn't interfere with his schooling. That meant that when Shuichi was not at school, he was working in the company, and that had made his week very hard. He was thankful to have this day off with Botan, because the next day he would have to start all over again.

Botan laid back on one side of the couch while Shuichi remained on the other side, a space between them. It was strange to the girl, well in her twenties, that she felt so nervous watching the football game just because she had her boyfriend there. She felt more like a schoolgirl than a graduate student. She figured it was because this whole thing was new to her, and she didn't know how to behave in these situations. When she had dated Yusuke it definitely felt like she was dating her best friend. Shuichi was different, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Still, a lot in her life had changed drastically and she didn't know how to deal with it in the slightest. Her trust issues still took hold of her from time to time, especially when she wondered why Shuichi would even be interested in her to begin with. She knew he was just a decent guy who saw something she didn't understand.

Why couldn't her thoughts leave her alone when they were on their dates? It just wasn't fair.

Shuichi noticed Botan's unusual silence. By now, they'd normally be engaged in light conversation, but her silence always worried him. Whenever she was silent, it usually meant she was thinking about things seriously and getting herself upset while hiding it. He looked over to her and saw all of her telltale signs. The girl was buried deep into the couch, slouched, staring slightly below the television and frowning.

He didn't want her to feel this way when he was with her, so he attempted to shift her attention. With a bright grin, he stated that maybe they should start having some snacks. He sat forward and worked on plates for the both of them and then handed her a dish. Botan smiled and thanked her boyfriend relieved to have her mind diverted. The game was about to start soon, anyway, so as the two of them snacked, they began discussing their week and all of their stresses. Strangely enough, talking about everything made them both feel like a weight had been lifted.

"So what days are you going to be at the company this week?" Botan asked after she popped a meatball in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "Will I be able to see you at all?"

Shuichi shrugged. "To be honest, Botan, I have no idea. Last week, I barely had any time to myself at all. Where I would love to see you, I don't think I'd be able to give you the time you deserve. I apologize."

Botan flashed him an understanding smile and Shuichi seemed to relax. "It's all right. I get it, really. You have a lot of responsibilities. If you want, we can do this again next Sunday, too, you know, make it a weekly thing until the season is over."

"Hm, I would like that," he hummed in response. His attention moved back to the television screen. "So, which team will you be rooting for?"

"My team doesn't play this week, so I'll be cheering for whoever plays the better game," Botan answered with a wink.

Shuichi grinned and held up his water glass saying, "Then to whoever wins your favor."

Botan laughed at his dramatics and leaned into him as they both and drank, her earlier nervousness completely gone. The rest of the day felt easy and not at all forced, even as Shuichi left. Botan had brought him to her front door, the two of them talking a bit more before agreeing to meet for lunch the next day before he had to go to the office. Her breath was taken away, though, when Shuichi leaned down and kissed her cheek before he devilishly smirked and left her apartment. He looked back at his dazed girlfriend once and chuckled. Botan, however, was still stunned even as she went to bed. She had not been expecting that at all. She went to bed with thoughts regarding the relationship.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Okay, so last chapter I had writer's block and reinjured my knee. This time, I had writer's block and injured my ankle. Well, that's at least over. I am sick of being laid up, and now I have all this energy. I can do a lot more now, but I'm utilizing the energy into writing while I have the chance. It's funny, when you have time, you have no energy to do anything and then when you're healed you want to do everything…welp…anyways, sorry for another wait. I feel like one of these chapters, I'll find inspiration to write a whole bunch of chapters like what happens with my other stories, but as I'm sure you know this is a side project for me. As I complete more stories, I'll be able to dedicate more time to these side projects. I have so many that were started so many years ago.

Sorry for rambling on of the woes, but here's to another chapter, even though it's sort of a filler drabble to push the story along. Everyone who's been reading, reviewing, and adding to favorites, thanks so much.

* * *

It was no wonder why the university did nothing for their graduate school students.

There was hardly any time for events and to socialize among peers. Botan hadn't expected such a difference from her previous semester, even with a larger course load. What was a couple extra classes?

Apparently way too much.

Even in college, Botan had never felt this stressed out which was saying a lot because she was always stressed in college trying to get as close to perfect grades as possible. She had tried to be perfect to win her father's affection and prove to him that she wasn't as worthless as he made her feel. That felt like such a long time ago even though she had just graduated two years prior.

Every time she thought about him, it was difficult to conceive that he was gone. There would be times she thought about talking to him only to realize he didn't live in the physical realm anymore. Why she couldn't remember it, why she had to react like it was a surprise every time, she did not know. All she knew was that she had been able to avoid perfectionist tendencies the first semester in graduate school only for them to flare up during the second semester. It didn't help that she was already a few exams in and was hanging by a thread in some classes.

It had been quite a while since she and Shuichi were able to spend any time together. They had texted back and forth most nights and spoken on the phone, but both of them were insanely exhausted, her from her crazy course load and him because of both his classes and his stepfather's business. During that time, Botan was put in charge of a presentation in one of her biology courses where the grad student had to direct the undergraduate students. Of course, in Botan's group she was given someone who was dedicated to doing the work yet did not have good presentation skills and another who was late to any group meetings and did most of it the night before causing the presentation to lag. Botan herself was nervous speaking in front of people and spoke quite fast, but the information given was excellent. They managed to get an A, but only after Botan and the first student went to the teacher to discuss their third classmate.

Also, in that class, the teacher took to showing them the most devastating documentaries on diseases and what the times were like during those time periods, back when healthcare was bad and there were hardly any medications or vaccines. Since her father had died, despite it being due to a car accident, Botan had difficulty with the concept of death. Her anxiety spiked because of those horrendous videos, and so she took to trying to ignore them by listening to music and reading on her IPad. There was one day where she even considered leaving the class, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself, so she suffered in silence even though the video haunted her at nights when she tried to sleep.

It had been a month since the semester started, and she had already failed two quizzes in one of her classes, though thankfully one would be dropped. In that class with the documentaries, she had gotten a C for the first exam, and, as she studied for her second round of exams that were coming up in the next couple of weeks, she realized she might do worse and that terrified her even more than knowing she had three exams in one week.

She didn't know when she'd finally be able to see Shuichi again which was bothering her more than she cared to admit. She really liked him, but she had known since he had expressed his interest in her that she had so much going on and would most likely screw up their relationship. To be honest, Botan was surprised that Shuichi hadn't called it all off. Maybe accepting his relationship proposal had been a mistake.

Her phone went off in that minute calling her away from her intense flashcard making. It was a text and, surprisingly, it was Shuichi. He must have felt his senses burning from her thinking about him. **Hello, beautiful. How was your day?**

In an instant, her heart melted and guilt consumed her from her earlier thought. Shuichi really was a great guy, and clearly he was not deterred from their lack of interaction. She hoped that he was doing okay with it all, too, and that he wasn't just trying to make her feel better. Being the cause of his misery was not something she wanted. **I'm okay. A bit stressed, but overall okay. What about you? Have you been getting enough rest?**

* * *

Shuichi smiled at the response. Botan really was very sweet, and he could tell that she was concerned about him. **I am well,** he replied. **I was wondering if you were doing anything tomorrow night. My stepfather is going out of town with mother for a business meeting and my stepbrother will be staying at a friend's place. I was hoping to invite you over for dinner.**

It took a moment for his girlfriend to respond which was something he had gotten used to since they began dating. He would never know that Botan was debating whether or not to accept the invitation to be alone with him at his home or that she had doubts about their relationship that she could not confide in him. **Sure, that sounds good. I really appreciate it. You don't need to go through a lot of trouble.**

 **It's no trouble, Botan,** he attempted to soothe her. **I've just missed you and would like to see you now that I finally have gotten a break.**

 **I've missed you, too,** she sent back. **I'm glad we both have some time.**

 **Until tomorrow then.**

Shuichi put his phone aside knowing Botan probably wouldn't reply to that. He wondered how she was really doing, feeling awful for not having been able to make much time for her. It was far from intentional. He was starting to live the reasons he never wanted to be a businessman. Why he had agreed to help, he had no idea. And of course, his normal stress relief was impossible considering he had hardly any time as it was. If he had any time to himself, he'd choose to spend it with Botan instead of frequenting the underground fighting ring. Still, he was growing increasingly frustrated and didn't understand why Kazuya didn't just hire someone to act as his assistant. It had never been his plan to be drawn in this much, even if he could do the work. He didn't like it, and he was very tempted to deny his stepfather's next request. Why he hadn't yet was because his mother had been so thankful that he was assisting her husband, and Shuichi couldn't deny the woman any peace of mind.

Hopefully, everything would change soon. Shuichi needed to get his life back, and he needed to focus on moving further with Botan. With school already being an overwhelming obstacle, they didn't need anything else getting in their way.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Okay, so I have plenty more excuses to give as to why I haven't updated in so long. Tons of stories, some older ones which I'm trying to finish (I did finish one this past month), not to mention not having as much time as I wanted to write, and then my living situation was pretty cruddy, but now I'm in a better place, and have had a ton of energy to write.

I'm hoping to get all my stories updated soon, just so that they're at least a bit current, all updated in 2017. I'm hoping to more energy into all my stories and complete a few projects. I have so many more I'd love to work on and add to my list, but I have so many currently, that I'm giving myself conditions before I can even start a new story. Anyway, let's hope I get to where I want to be in this story soon. The problem is for this one that I had all these scenes planned for later in the story and nothing for building up to that, so I need to put in the effort to get from point A to point B. I thank everyone for their patience as I start getting back into all of the writing. As a reward, I made this chapter a bit longer than the past chapters to make up for the delay.

Onward!

* * *

Shuichi had everything set for when Botan was due to arrive. It was great that they were finally getting to see each other after what had felt like forever. He was glad that his mother had convinced his stepbrother to go to a friend's house while she and Kazuya went out of town. Part of the redhead felt his mother had done that on purpose so that he could have alone time with Botan. He was starting to come to terms with the fact that his mother could see right through him.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts, and a smile graced his features. He was really looking forward to that night. He would not let a single minute be wasted.

Casually, he strode to answer the door revealing his blue-haired girlfriend. He smiled at her, nearly melting her heart, and he quickly let her in for it was incredibly cold and windy. Shuichi frowned as he looked at the sky, his eyes narrowing. It wasn't supposed to storm, was it? It was so cold and cloudy that it would be a blizzard if it did. Perhaps he should have checked the weather report earlier for Botan would possibly be stranded there with him. Wait; that might actually be a good thing. His home was properly equipped to handle bad weather. There was great insulation and backup power for the heat, which his stepfather had decided to put in place a while back. Storms this far north could get really bad. It was completely possible that school would be cancelled for a day or so.

He would have Botan all to himself.

There wasn't any proof it would snow. To be fair, his mother normally kept him aware of the weather anomalies, but he had slept in that morning considering how wiped out he had been. It was Sunday after all, so there weren't many places he needed to be.

"It's so freezing out," Botan murmured. "I had mom calling me earlier to make sure I was safe. I told her I was coming over for dinner. Apparently, tonight at ten a huge snow storm is supposed to start."

"Ten, hm?" Shuichi hummed. Well, that was certainly a disappointment. It wasn't that he wanted to trap Botan with him for the day, but well, actually he really did. He hadn't seen her for so long. No, he wasn't planning on speeding up their relationship at all, but he couldn't take being away from her the way he had.

"Yeah, so I figured that I'd still be able to come for dinner," Botan chimed, hanging up her jacket. Shuichi watched her casual movements and was actually happy that she didn't seem nervous for once. "There should be plenty of time for me to get home."

Shuichi offered a smile, though he really didn't like that idea. He wasn't going to harp on it, though. They would just have to make good use of the time they had together.

It had felt like forever since the last time he had embraced the blue-haired woman. He had quietly sneaked his arms around her and, though she tensed for a moment, Botan relaxed and hugged his arms, wrapping her arms around his. Botan tilted her head to see him, a bright smile on her face. He had never seen her like this, never so relaxed. He grinned at her. "What's on your mind?" he asked, noting her dreamy look.

Botan simply giggled and shook her head. "It's really nothing. It's just…well, I just really missed you."

A serious look crossed over his features as he spun her around to face him. She frowned at the guilty look he wore. His eyes were cast downward. "I apologize for that," he spoke sternly. "I haven't had as much time as I would have liked. Kazuya has required my assistance quite a bit lately."

"You…you're not happy about that, I take it," Botan blurted out before Shuichi's eyes cut over to her. She covered her mouth before apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me. I'm so sorry."

"Botan, it's all right," Shuichi assured her, smiling fondly, pulling her close to him. "You are right. It never really had been what I wanted to do in life. I'd prefer if he hired an assistant and left me out of it."

Botan gripped his hands tightly. "Why…why don't you tell him that? Are you worried he'll be mad?"

The pure concern in Botan's amethyst eyes pained Shuichi. He was certain that her mind was thinking back to her father. It probably seemed like the most normal question for her to ask. He had to reassure her that that was definitely not the case. His hands, along with hers, slid up he arms. "Of course not," he remarked. "I just have a hard time saying 'no' because my mother has been so thankful for my assisting him. I try not to concern her with petty problems."

"I'm sure she would understand…"

"She would," Shuichi agreed, "but I prefer if she has nothing to worry about at all. It's…it's a long story."

Botan could see his eyes flicker with something that was so familiar to her…fear…fear of losing someone close. "You're worried that, if she worries, something will happen to her?" That had taken Kurama aback, but his startled reaction quickly became neutral. He nodded somberly. "I don't think that would happen…and that's coming from the person who is terrified of losing everyone."

A soft smile graced his features. "I know you're right," he stated before he motioned to the table. "We should probably eat before the food gets cold."

"Okay," Botan murmured. "What are we having?"

"Nothing too fancy," Shuichi assured her. "Just a salad I threw together and a roasted chicken with vegetables and potatoes."

"That really sounds delicious."

Shuichi smirked at her. "Just wait until you taste it."

* * *

Dinner had been wonderful, though Shuichi had sort of misled Botan and also had had dessert for them. She couldn't believe that he had actually picked up some chocolate covered strawberries. To be honest, she had only told him in passing, back during the first semester when they were discussing the world's best fruit, and Botan had claimed that it had to be strawberries because chocolate covered strawberries was the world's best food. She couldn't believe he remembered that.

The two had curled up on the couch watching some movie on T.V. as they ate the strawberries, and every so often Shuichi would feed one to his girlfriend. Botan would just shake her head. It was strange to be fed in this manner. It felt so surreal and sensual and sort of out of her comfort zone. Still, she was trying not to let her doubts interfere with her happiness. Since the last time she had spoken to him, the day they set up this date, she had told herself that she needed to let herself move forward even if it was a little outside her comfort zone. Shuichi had been wonderful and incredibly patient with her and her fears and distrust. She needed to start putting in just as much as he was into their relationship. Of course, time and school had been the biggest interferences lately. Her problems didn't need to add to that.

So, Botan did something she hadn't expected, picking up one of the chocolate delicacies and holding it close to Shuichi's mouth. His emerald eyes met hers, studying her for a moment as she blinked in confusion. When she hadn't pulled away, Shuichi moved forward, biting into the fruit halfway and chewing it as he pulled away and wiped the juices from his chin. She blushed as he smirked. He had also darted out his tongue before he bit down licking the tip of her finger.

He took the half-eaten strawberry from Botan and turned it to her, his action taking the woman aback. Her eyes searched his questioningly, but he only grinned playfully. It made her lips twitch upwards. He was playing a game with her, probably seeing what she'd do next.

Well, she wasn't going to deny herself her favorite food, so she moved to take it in her mouth, biting down making the juice dribble down her chin. She pulled back to wipe the cold liquid from her neck, but Shuichi beat her to it, pulling her to him and lapping it all up. Botan gasped, not having expected his action. Her heart started hammering in her chest both from nerves and something else. Part of her wanted to push Shuichi away, but she couldn't. Another part of her desired him to be this close to her. Whatever he was doing was overriding her fears of moving too fast. In fact, it felt rather pleasant and she didn't want him to stop.

He hadn't known what had overcome him, but Shuichi wasn't going to complain. He had been dying to get closer to Botan in any way she'd allow. So far, he wasn't hearing any argument from the woman, and so he continued with his ministrations. He chanced a glance to see her face hoping to gage her reaction and found her with a completely blissful look on her face, her lips parted.

Her lips.

He had never kissed her.

Shuichi chuckled internally at his skipped step and stopped what he was doing. Oh, how badly he had wanted to kiss her all these times. Sure, he had kissed her cheek, held her, but for the first time he felt like the whole evening had been rather intimate.

Botan glanced at him through hazy eyes as he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her slowly and tentatively making Botan tense. Shuichi wondered what had changed her demeanor and pulled back to make sure she was okay. He grew concerned when he saw that Botan looked very sad, as if something inside her had snapped her out of the peace she had been feeling. It was something Shuichi could understand, so he let her up. "Are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah," she stammered. She was lying. He could hear it.

"What's wrong, Botan?" he tried again, his voice softer as he attempted to reach for her. Botan flinched and pulled back.

"N-Nothing," she whispered. "It's not you, believe me. I just…I should go."

Botan stood up from the couch, ignoring Kurama's worried call, and headed to the door. She couldn't believe how she reacted. It wasn't like they did anything wrong, and yet she was so alerted. At first, it had been a surprise and she hadn't wanted to pull away, but the second he had stopped, right before he had kissed her for the first time in their relationship, her mind was on full alert.

Her mind was her own worst enemy. Every time she was happy and felt some sense of peace, her mind was there to remind her of her own fears of the future. Why couldn't she just enjoy the moment?

And now, she was running away.

As her hand raised to grab her coat, she froze. Isn't that what her father always did when things got too hard? Was she becoming him?

"Botan…"

She turned to see Shuichi standing in the archway to the front door. His eyes were pleading with her, probably either asking for an answer or asking her not to leave…or worse, asking her forgiveness. Botan shook her head and buried herself against the jacket before she started crying. "I-I'm sorry," she wailed, though it was muffled by her jacket. "This…you didn't sign up for this. I'm sorry."

"Botan, come back inside and let's talk," Shuichi offered like the gentleman he was. Botan felt even worse because he probably thought this was all about him. He didn't know how broken she truly was.

"N-No," she rejected. "I'm such an idiot. I should have never said 'yes.' You don't need someone like me messing everything up."

Shuichi swiftly moved to embrace her, forcing her away from the wall. She fought him, but eventually he had her protected against his chest, his hand brushing her hair from her face. "Sh," he cooed gently. "That's your father talking. You haven't messed anything up."

Botan laughed bitterly. "Haven't I? And how could it be my father talking? He's not here, and I know he doesn't feel the same way anymore, so shouldn't I be over this?"

"The damage had already been done," Shuichi explained. "Botan, there is nothing wrong with you, and again, no you didn't mess anything up. You're going through a lot right now. Whatever you're feeling probably doesn't even make sense to you right now. Just come back into the living room. We can finish our snack and talk."

Botan shook her head. "No," she said more firmly, pulling away and hugging herself with one arm. "I need to go home…I need to think."

"You've been doing too much thinking," Shuichi soothed, his hand entwining with her hair, "but if you must, please stay here. I don't want you driving home when you can't focus on the road. What happens if the storm hits while you're driving? You need to be at your best."

"Oh, that's not going to happen," Botan assured the redhead, but when she moved to open the door both of them were staring out looking completely shocked. It was full on white out conditions.

Shuichi's eyes softened as he took in Botan's paralyzed form before the woman released a sigh. Shuichi put his hand on hers that was still on the doorknob and closed the door with her. "It doesn't look like you're going anywhere tonight," he informed her with sympathy, though deep down inside he was thankful. He knew something was going on with her internally, and if she left now she would be thinking on it long and hard all alone sending herself deeper into depression. He had started to notice these things about her, and his conversation with Yusuke rang pretty true.

He had not been prepared for this much self-loathing.

Yusuke had implied that Botan harbored this self-hate, but Shuichi didn't think it would be as bad as his friend had made it out to seem. Botan was a lovely person, beautiful, and light, but as this semester had started to pass, he was noticing her stress on a whole other level. They had so much work to do, and he knew Botan was struggling in some of her classes. She was texting him late at night at times, though she'd then say she was going to bed and apologize for texting so late. He wouldn't let her retreat like that, and it turned out she was struggling to sleep and only seemed to feel relaxed when she heard his voice, so he'd call and read something to her from one of his botany books or whatever literature he was currently reading to get her to sleep.

Botan was reaching out for help and she couldn't see it. He had been surprised that she hadn't panicked sooner with him, and because of her reactions he had been hopeful, but it looked like he needed to nurture her a little bit more.

She sniffled a bit and tried to leave the room now that she realized that she would be stuck there a little longer. Gently, he grabbed her arm to prevent her from walking away, and he pulled her into his comforting embrace. She laid her head against his chest, but she whispered something that prevented Shuichi from smiling at the sweet gesture. "I ruined our first kiss."

Shuichi sighed and pulled her away just so that he could look her in the eyes, her amethysts shimmering with unshed tears. His hands slipped up to cup her cheeks. This time, he did smile at her. "Botan, you ruined nothing. In fact, I would like to kiss you again."

Botan seemed to be truly surprised over his words, not understanding why he'd want to bother with her still after that whole tantrum-like scene. "Me?" she clarified.

Shuichi chuckled and nodded. "You."

He kissed her once again. This time, it felt different to them both, and much, much better. Botan sighed in contentment as Shuichi guided her back to where they had been.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Shuichi found Botan in the guest room in a pair of pajamas he had borrowed from his mother's room for her. At first, Botan kept refusing his offer, planning to sleep in her one outfit, but he reminded her that she didn't know how long she'd be there and that he should wash her clothes. Reluctantly, she agreed, but only once Shuichi had gotten proof that his mother would be fine with it. Of course, the woman hadn't minded and laughed lightly when Shuichi had called her. She also made it her duty to warn her son to behave and also to tell him to never let Botan go.

His mother hadn't needed to tell him either of those things. Truthfully, he knew how to be around Botan. He was not going to pressure her or make things difficult for her. She was already dealing with enough, and their night proved it. He needed to be persistent, but not forceful. Eventually, Botan would finally feel safe in their relationship.

Of course, her mind could be a problem. Shuichi could see it happening now as he watched her brush her hair for fifteen straight minutes staring into space. She hadn't even noticed him standing in the open doorway. There was no doubt in Shuichi's mind that Botan was thinking about what happened earlier. He needed to make sure that she wasn't still feeling guilty for they were completely passed that moment in time.

Shuichi cleared his throat, alerting Botan to his presence. She jumped, visibly snapping herself from her thoughts, before looking to her boyfriend. The woman offered him a weak smile before she placed the brush he had leant her on the dresser. "Um, hello," Botan murmured softly albeit a little bit nervously.

"Hello," Shuichi greeted back before entering the room. "I wanted to check on you, how you're doing and if you think you'll be warm enough."

Botan was a little cold, but she always was cold so she wasn't going to trouble him. The storm was still raging outside, the wind a bit frightening. Still, she was sure she would be fine in this room once she got under the covers, both to stay warm and hide from the crazy winter weather. "I'm okay."

Her boyfriend nodded, but took a seat on the bed, patting the spot beside him. Botan eyed him strangely before complying with his unspoken order. She was startled when Shuichi pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her as he rested his chin atop her head. She couldn't see his face, but she still attempted to look up. "Just okay?" he repeated. He sounded concerned.

"Well, I'm just…" Botan started before she sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "I'm not feeling like myself tonight. It's been going on for a while, and everything is just too much. But, I'm glad we were able to fix my mistake, and I'm just trying to looked passed this."

Shuichi grimaced, his eyes angry, and he was glad Botan could not see him for she would take it the wrong way. "You made no mistake," he said, voice soft despite the glower on his face. "Nothing you did was wrong, Botan. We had a lovely evening, and, despite the fact that we're trapped here, I'm happy that you are here. As you had said you missed me, I have missed you as well. All that happened tonight was that you had a bad moment, and those will pass with time. It does not mean that you did anything wrong."

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did," Botan huffed. "It wasn't to your kiss. That was actually very nice. I'm just so…scared."

"Scared of what, if I may ask," Shuichi whispered.

"Scared that I'll mess it up," Botan admitted, dropping her head in defeat. "I'm afraid I'll push you away if we get too close. I'm afraid I'll run if things get tough. You saw me… I felt the need to run after I thought I messed up our first kiss. I'm no better than my father."

"Don't say that," Shuichi cooed, nuzzling his nose against her temple. "We all feel the need to run, sometimes. Sometimes we just need our space. It doesn't mean you planned on abandoning us. He abandoned you, Botan. That's the difference. He knew that running meant leaving you and your mother behind, and every time he was faced with the decision he made he continued to make it so that he would never have to face it. You, though, you face your challenges head-on even when you dealing with so much pressure and stress. You don't have to overthink this, Botan. He was him, and you are you, and I'm very glad that you are in my life. Please do not fear messing anything up, because there is nothing you can do that will chase me away."

To prove his point, Shuichi moved to kiss Botan once again, pulling away fairly swiftly. A light shone in his eyes as he looked at her, and Botan blushed not knowing what to do or say. Just then, a gust of wind was heard outside, and Botan yelped and practically threw herself at her boyfriend. His arms had already been wrapped around her, but his grip around her tightened to steady her. Shuichi frowned. Botan looked incredibly frightened, and she was shaking too. A sigh escaped him. "Would you like me to stay?"

Botan flinched and looked at him warily. He could already tell what her answer would be. "N-No," she stammered. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"I'm offering," he countered willfully, but Botan still didn't want to take that step.

"I'll be fine," she clipped, though neither of them truly believed that. "Goodnight, Shuichi."

Shuichi moved to kiss her forehead letting his lips linger for a few extra seconds. "Goodnight, Botan. I'll see you in the morning."

Though he was reluctant to leave her in the room feeling scared and alone, Shuichi knew he needed to wait for Botan to come to him. Truthfully, he didn't think it would take too entirely long. Botan was terrified of this storm. He couldn't blame her. Shuichi was used to the rough winters of this place. He had grown up there, after all. Botan, though used to winter, was not used to getting hit with storms like these. From their many talks in the past, he knew she wasn't a fan of any type of storm, and it was going to be hard for her to get to sleep.

Deciding to wait for her, Shuichi took out a book to read. He was not yet tired, after all, having been used to late nights for Kazuya. It was almost midnight, the start of a new day, and he had yet to see what that day would bring. A day trapped with Botan, though, was well worth it.

* * *

About an hour passed before Botan finally ventured out of the guest room. She had spent that hour tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and get to sleep. It wasn't that the bed was uncomfortable. It was actually very soft and inviting. No, her trouble was her tumultuous thoughts and the storm outside. Every time the wind blew, it sounded awful. She was just waiting for the windows to shatter.

She delved into an internal debate on whether or not to go to Shuichi. It was one in the morning, and surely he was asleep by this point. Waking him would be wrong, yet she didn't know what else to do.

A thought occurred to her. Maybe she should explore. That, too, seemed like an invasion, but she could not stay in bed any longer. It would provide a great distraction from the storm, and she wouldn't wake up her boyfriend.

Botan quietly crawled out of bed before she began to prowl. The hall was dark which made her slightly nervous. She carefully descended the stairs before she found a light switch, and, when she turned it on, the living room was illuminated. To be honest, she hadn't had much time to look around earlier. The woman had been solely focused on her boyfriend and then on her messing things up that she hadn't truly observed her surroundings.

The room was lovely, very homey and elegant. Everything she was not. A frown marred her features as she shook her head. No, Shuichi told her not to think like that. He didn't care about that stuff. She would probably never understand what he saw in her, but he had missed her. He was truly amazing, as always, and beyond understanding. Sometimes it felt like Botan was in a dream world and that something would happen to blow it all up to smithereens.

There was a wooden shelf that held many family photographs of Shuichi, his parents, and his stepbrother. A picture book rested behind a frame, and Botan decided to get a good look. Her eyes widened when she realized she found a photo album of Shuichi as a young child. Even as a newborn, he had such vibrant, green eyes and beautiful, scarlet hair. A smile touched Botan's lips. Of course, Shuichi had been absolutely adorable.

What caught Botan's attention was the man who was Shuichi's real father. He and Shiori had looked so incredibly happy to be with their little bundle. As she went through the pictures, she could tell that Shuichi's father had been very active in his son's first couple of years, but then he had dropped out of the photos. It was such a shame that the man had died so young leaving behind a son who would never remember him and a grieving widow who would become a struggling, single parent.

Sadness creeped into Botan's heart as she realized in fullness that Shuichi grew up without a father figure. Sure, she could argue that she had as well, but this was different. She could tell from these pictures that Shuichi's father absolutely loved him. And still, even without a strong, male role model, Shuichi had become a wonderful, honest gentleman.

"What are you doing down here?"

Botan nearly launched off the couch, dropping the photo album as she did so. Turning, she was met with confused, emerald eyes. They blinked at her before they looked down to the book. Her cheeks burned red at being caught snooping. Shuichi simply moved around the couch and picked up the book, holding it as if it were a treasure. His eyes met hers, and a sad smile graced his features. It was probably the only time Botan had seen her boyfriend so vulnerable. "He was a good man," he told her. "My mother would tell me stories about him, and I always hoped to be like him. I may not remember him, but this book lets me pretend. These were the pictures that used to be hanging around our home."

"I see," Botan replied hesitantly, especially when Shuichi moved to put the book behind a picture of him and his mother, where she had found it. "W-Why?" He looked up at her. "Why don't you put the pictures up here?"

"It is not _our_ house, Botan," Shuichi sighed. "It isn't personal, but I highly doubt Kazuya would be thrilled with pictures being hung around of another man married to his wife. He doesn't even know what the book is. If he does, he doesn't really care. Mother hardly speaks of my father anymore unless I bring him up or she reminisces with me and me alone."

"Does it upset your mother not to talk about him?" Botan pressed gently. Shuichi shook his head. "O-Oh…"

"It has been a lot of time," he reminded her. "She has dealt with her own challenges since his passing. For the longest time, she was sick, and I had not known until the worst of her illness. I was almost in high school, and we spent a lot of time in the hospital. I almost lost her. She was seeing Kazuya then, though. He paid for an incredible treatment that saved her life, and I'll always be grateful. Mother is happy with him."

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself to be happy for her," Botan whispered, "but I can tell…you miss your father too."

Shuichi chuckled weakly. "I can't miss a man I barely remember, Botan. And I am happy for my mother. Kazuya is good to her, and they love each other. She loves Kazuya's son like her own, and he looks up to me."

"But you still feel like an outsider…"

That statement alerted Shuichi, and he looked to the woman alarmed. Her eyes were on his, but when they met, she winced and looked away. "I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to be psychoanalyzing you. I take it back." Botan was about to leave, to run away again, but Shuichi stopped her, grabbing her wrist.

"Don't," he ordered abruptly before blushing.

"D-Don't what…?"

"Don't take it back," he replied, his voice pained. "You are not wrong."

"But you looked so bothered."

Shuichi loosened his grip on her wrist, and she sat down. "You startled me," he admitted. "No one has ever been able to tell. There are not many places where I feel I belong. I did grow up around her, but I lived in another town where I had few friends who I rarely see. Our home…we lived there the majority of my life, and now we live here. Yes, I have lived here for near a decade, but it's not home. To be honest, I wanted to live on the campus and get out of this grandiose house, but since they didn't offer housing, my mother begged me to stay here. I couldn't leave her, though I almost did reject her plea. The only place I felt like I truly belonged was that experimental design class when a beautiful, blue-haired woman entered the room." He smiled at Botan, his eyes completely honest. "Being around you made me feel like myself again. I have been trying for so long and couldn't find that one thing, or technically person, that I needed."

"Shuichi," Botan breathed out, floored. Her eyes softened, her lips parting as she softly spoke. "I…I feel the same. I mean, I never felt that way with mom or Yusuke, but even with my father's family, I didn't always feel like I belonged. Everyone treated me well and like part of the family, but my father's words made me feel like I didn't belong anywhere. Since he died…it's…it's been so hard for me. I'm stuck in between who I was and who I want to be, and I just don't feel like I'll ever get there. But you…you make me feel like I can move forward sometimes, but then I just keep screwing it all up and it just makes me think I'll never be better."

Shuichi pulled Botan to him, kissing her passionately. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as if she were the most valuable and breakable crystal. Botan's hands were firmly pressed against his chest, but she didn't try to push away. She allowed Shuichi to consume her, and for the first time she actually felt a deep connection with the man.

She felt Shuichi lie her back down on the couch as he continued to taste her. At first, she felt her fear trying to force its way through, but it disappeared as soon as Shuichi's hands gently caressed her sides. He moved no further than that, but every touch and kiss felt completely intimate, and she felt like they were one.

And then the lights went out.

Botan clutched onto Shuichi, not expecting it to turn dark like that, but Shuichi wasn't concerned. He chuckled gently, his thumb tracing her cheek. "It's all right," he assured her. "This tends to happen during these storms. We run on the hospital's grid, so we'll get power back fairly quickly."

"I-I," Botan stammered, not opening her eyes. "This is g-going to sound s-stupid and childish, but I don't like the dark. I…I r-really hate it. Please, don't let go."

Shuichi was stunned by the revelation, his eyes conveying his shock. Botan had buried herself against him, so she couldn't see. He tightened his grip on her, readjusting her so that she would be more comfortable. "I won't let go," he promised. "However, we should get some sleep. I…I know today has been a lot to take in, but I think you should join me in my room." She tensed in his grip. "I will be with you, and we'll be able to keep warm if you stay with me, but I know it's a big step for you. But you don't have to. We do have backup power for the heater. I don't want to force you into anything."

"No, I know," Botan silenced him. "I…I'm scared."

Shuichi smiled. "Of the dark and of moving too fast and pushing me away and running and losing others," he teased, and Botan shot up and looked at him, dumbfounded. His smile never wavered. "You poor, beautiful woman. That is quite a lengthy list of fears."

Botan offered a weak chuckle. "Unfortunately, that doesn't scratch the surface."

"That's all right," he responded, nuzzling against her. "I will just have to be there to reassure you as much as I can. You've already done so much more for me."

"It's sad that before all of this," Botan murmured, "that I was wondering what you could possibly see in someone like me. You're perfect, and I make so many mistakes."

"I'm not perfect, Botan," Shuichi chided. "I will never claim to be. I have made my share of mistakes, and I continue to do so. And you don't make nearly as many mistakes as you seem to think. And you are perfect. You're perfectly imperfect, and you're mine, and that puts you above everyone else in my mind."

Pink dusted Botan's cheeks, and she instantly forgot that she was in the pitch black darkness of which she was terrified. Shuichi's expression had lit up the darkened room for her. Words entered her head, but she couldn't say them in fear of what could happen if she spoke. But three little words washed over her, and she knew she could never go back.

 _I love you._

* * *

A/N: Not how I planned for this chapter to go, but I enjoyed writing it (well, it writing itself, but yeah XD). I hope you all enjoyed this, too. Seriously not where I intended on this story going or happening at all at this stage of the story, but yay progress. And lots of groundwork laid for future chapters. Accomplishments! It's about time, right? I'm nowhere close to the scenes I came up with that inspired the story XD Eh well, at least I've gotten this far. Thanks everyone for the patience!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Welp…you probably won't believe this, but after years since I started this story and couldn't figure out where I was going, last night at midnight, the whole story got planned from this point on until the end. Sure, there, could be some filler chapters, but basically this whole story's outline was written two nights ago and the scenes in my mind that started this story have been fit in. So now I'm excited because this plot is more than I had years ago…XD Funny how that works out. I edited last chapter. Not much changed other than I had to fix a glaring flaw (mainly Shuichi's age when his dad passed because of discussion in Chapter 1, implying that he was a little older than two when his father passed). Only changed two lines very slightly, so no need to go back. He was still around maybe three instead of two, so he remembers a little bit more, but barely.

And I really didn't need to write a long paragraph about that last part, but oh well XD

Onward!

* * *

The next morning yielded its own set of surprises.

First of all, it was completely white outside, but at least the power was back. The snow showed no signs of slowing down, though plows were out. Shuichi grimaced as he looked out for he and Botan would need to unbury her car as well as his. That was _certainly_ going to be a good time, he though sarcastically to himself. He wished the snow had slowed for he would have been out there taking care of it now before Botan would awake.

The night before, they had both been up so late just talking about how he felt like an outsider in his own "home," and Botan had seen everything he normally kept hidden from anyone else. A fond smile touched his face when he thought of how panicked she would get from pointing these things out. He found her sincere honesty very attractive, but she feared it and kept trying to take things back. She was his girlfriend. She had every right to make those remarks. If anything, it showed him that she knew him well and could discern him from his mask. His mother was right. He could never let her go.

Shuichi thought back on how the rest of the night played out. After the power had been cut, he had suggested to Botan staying with him for the night. She had agreed, but once they were in his room she was so panicked. He had coaxed her over to his bed, gotten her to lie down on one side. He took the other and then wrapped his arms around her. Botan's frame was tense as anything, but he just whispered in her ear, loving words and random topics, and she eventually relaxed in his grip. After letting his hands innocently explore her, she had finally fallen asleep, and Shuichi followed suit.

Now, he was awake and making breakfast. His mother had those dishes with the lids that would keep the food warm until Botan was ready. He hadn't wanted to wake her. She looked too precious, cute, and beautiful while she was sleeping that he was reluctant to disturb her. He had to admit, though, that it was the best feeling in the world to wake up with Botan in his arms. He hoped they could do this more often, though he would not force his desires on the woman. He would simply let the chips fall where they may.

Secondly, when he was finished making breakfast, his phone rang, and he froze when he heard the sound of Yusuke's ringtone. A sigh escaped him as he answered. "Yes?"

" _Wow, someone doesn't sound happy,"_ Yusuke joked before his voice shifted to suspicion. _"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"_

"Not at all," Shuichi replied, "however, I'm sure you will hear about this later, but Botan stayed the night. She had come to dinner and the storm came earlier than expected."

" _How is she?"_ Yusuke's soft treble questioned.

"As well as could be expected being trapped in a snowstorm in the dark at her boyfriend's house, spending the night for the first time," Shuichi lightly answered, placing scrambled eggs on the dishes with some sausage.

" _So pretty crappy,"_ Yusuke huffed. _"But I assume she's better now and that you handled it or else she would have tried to text me. When she gets overwhelmed like that, she reaches out, so thanks for looking out for her."_

"You don't have to thank me," Shuichi countered. "She's my girlfriend and I love her."

" _Whoa, really?"_ Yusuke gasped, amazed, and Shuichi could almost see his comically wide eyes. _"That's, oh my God…seriously?"_

Shuichi smiled and shook his head. "Yes and yes," he replied, "though I will wait on telling her. After last night, I think it would overload her. We haven't been dating that long."

" _Yeah, that's a good idea, but oh man,"_ Yusuke laughed. _"That's great, Kurama. I can't believe you and my best friend…that's just wild."_

At the sound of his underground name, Shuichi frowned and was reminded that this call probably wasn't a social call. Something was probably going to happen soon, another fight or tournament in the underground ring. "So…what's new?"

Yusuke got quiet for a minute and then released a breathy sigh. _"Yeah, okay, I forgot for a moment thinking of you and Botan. So, I got the call from Koenma on the next tournament. Guess when it is."_

"You know I never guess."

" _Ugh, right,"_ Yusuke griped. _"Well, the assholes scheduled it for Valentine's Day, which really sucks. I mean, Hiei'll be there, and Yukina's going to be out of town so Kuwabara will be as well. Keiko and I got into it and she decided she's going to work that day to get back at me, so I wanted to see if you're interested and if we should register as a three or four member team that day. You'll never guess what the losers are calling it."_

Shuichi shook his head, nearly rolling his eyes. "I hope you're about to tell me instead of making me guess."

" _Yeah, the Valentine's Day Massacre…original, right?"_

Shuichi had to admit that that was pretty pathetic. Still, he had no intention of going to the ring that day. "I would register as three. I will be spending that day with Botan since it's a Saturday and we are both free."

" _I'm kind of glad that's your answer,"_ Yusuke admitted. _"I figured it would be, but I had to be sure. Just know you're going to be heckled mercilessly by Hiei next time he sees you."_

"How that wounds me," Shuichi said without any humor. "Do be careful, there. At least with me not present, you won't have to face Toguro's team."

" _Yeah, right…we'll manage, but you're right. Definitely don't want to take on their team anytime soon."_ Shuichi's expression darkened. _"Hey, Kurama, just do me a favor. Take care of Botan. I mean, I know you love her, so I don't have to ask, but she_ is _my best friend. I just want her to be happy."_

"I will protect her with my life," Shuichi assured him. "Goodbye, Yusuke."

He had hung up his phone so quickly before gripping the table hard. Time had been going by so quickly, and Shuichi had hardly any time to even think about underground fighting. Whatever attention he had to give, he gave to Botan after not seeing her for so long. It never occurred to him to go to the ring. That was a change.

Truthfully, Shuichi wasn't one for illegal activity, though he had his reasons for ever getting involved with the underground ring in the first place. It had all started years ago when he had met Yusuke, around the time his mother was ill. The former delinquent had been one of the few at his school to offer him to come over for dinner when Shiori was in the hospital. They had bonded easily, especially when Shuichi learned that Yusuke's mother was a lush who left her son to fend for himself. He had to admit Yusuke was a good cook, though.

He eventually met Yusuke's friend and rival Kuwabara. They enjoyed fighting all the time, and so Shuichi got into it. He could create strategies while just watching them go at it, and one day he tried to fight one of them, and it had been exciting. Shuichi's old friend, Hiei, had moved to the town with his sister, living with their aunt after their mother's passing. Hiei was angry and bitter, Rui treating him differently than Yukina. He would hang around the other three a lot, and they became their own group of loners.

One day, they came across a group tormenting some other teenagers from their school and interjected. A fight broke out, and all of them ended up going to prison. It was just for a few hours, though. Kuwabara had been the only one to call someone, his sister, who sent a lawyer their way, Koenma. The brunette had gotten them out, explaining that it was self-defense, and the other teenagers had already gone to the police to give statements to get the four out. It was when they were out that everything changed.

Koenma was a lawyer, but he was also a scout for an underground fighting ring. He had been impressed when he heard they took down a gang without any knowledge of them or training. He was also thrilled that they had left them alive for others trying to take them down may have killed them. Koenma told them to go check out some fights at this ring, and the guys figured they might as well. The man wasn't going to recruit them, but seeing the ring, that appealed to them.

Shuichi had hated his new life after his mother was married, hated having all this money given to him each week. Kazuya had been trying to buy him, he was sure, and it was driving him mad. He didn't feel like he belonged in that world and didn't like having money. When he saw the stands for bets, his green eyes had lit up, and he came up with the first gambling strategy he ever had.

Betting for the losing team.

The first few times, he bet on the team he knew would win, so that others would see he knew what he was talking about. To this day, he won every so often just to keep up the guise. In actuality, he would bet on who he believed would lose to his team. Once they started going quite a bit and actually trained, they had become pretty brutal fighters. No, the four of them never killed their opponents, or at least not on purpose in Hiei's case. It was frowned upon in the ring to take the life of an opponent. Anyway, his goal was to lure teams into a false sense of security while blowing through the money he didn't need. He would always account for what he did need before betting the money away.

He'd bet on the other team when he knew that his would win so that they would get cocky and not fight their best. When he knew his team would lose or was in danger, he'd bet on their fights so that other teams would be afraid to go up against them, effectively protecting his friends. He'd bet on other fights and win, giving the money to the rest of the team if they needed it. So far, Shuichi was never wrong on his "guesses." Yes, he never did really guess. He only observed fights and made his decisions based on previous brawls.

He didn't lie when he said to Botan that he never felt like he belonged anywhere. Where a part of him felt he belonged underground, he knew it wasn't what he wanted in life. It was just some way to pass the time, to try to ignore his other life. He could be someone totally different there. Actually, it was recommended. Everyone had to use a nickname unless they didn't care about their real name getting out. Shuichi did. His mother would not be thrilled to learn that her son had been so unhappy he turned to illegal fighting and gambling.

And so, Kurama was born, and not only him.

Yusuke had reformed his life and was no longer a delinquent. In fact, his unnamed best friend, who he knew now to be Botan, had helped him with that. His mother might have been MIA, but he still loved her and his girlfriend, Keiko, and wanted to protect all three of them, so in the underground ring he was Detective.

Kuwabara, like Yusuke, had someone to protect. His sister did a lot for him, and he knew it would anger her deeply if she learned what he was doing. Still, he couldn't let his friends go in alone, especially when some of these fighters were madmen. Also, after meeting Hiei's younger twin, he had fallen in love, and he refused to put her in danger. He became known as the Psychic, for he was the one who could tell when they were up against a malevolent team. He was basically their warning on whether they needed to fight to spar or fight for their lives.

Hiei, well, he wanted to protect Yukina, too, and he also didn't want Rui to know what he was doing. In the ring, he was known as Dragon, taken from his dragon-shaped tattoo. Shuichi had been there when he got it. Rui had grounded Hiei for a month for that one.

Footsteps snapped Shuichi out of his mental reverie, a smile gracing his features. No, he didn't need the underground ring. Sure, if his friends needed him, he'd be there, but for now he had other obligations to fulfill, namely bonding with his girlfriend. He set the dishes on the table and went to go and meet her.

* * *

Botan had been awake for quite a while. She had woken up when she felt Shuichi shift and get out of bed. Through one eye, she had watched him get up and change his shirt blushing at how toned and attractive he looked. He always wore those business-style shirts which always suited his figure making him look lithe and poised, but it did not do him justice as to what lied beneath.

Of course, Botan was not normally a girl to think of those things, especially not to someone she loved. The night before she had realized she loved Shuichi, and now she was eyeing him like he was a piece of meat. It was wrong, and she mentally berated herself for doing such a thing. She closed her eyes the second he turned around and felt him coming towards her. Her heart was racing and she was worried he'd find her awake and somehow know what she had done. But he didn't call her name or do anything but run his hand through her hair lovingly before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Rest well, beautiful," he whispered before he pulled away. She could hear him descending the stairs moments later, and when she heard him rummaging for pots or pans, she finally sat up and looked out his bedroom door. Her eyes moved to the window, and the snow was still falling. She cringed. Getting out later was going to be a hassle.

In the time that Shuichi was cooking downstairs, Botan traveled back to the other room. Shuichi had taken her clothes the night before and put them in the wash to be ready for the day, but when the power went out, they couldn't be dried. He had told Botan to wait for him as he hung up the clothes in the bathroom.

On the handle of the guest room, there was a beautiful pink sweater and a pair of black pants. It was an outfit of Shuichi's mother, and Botan felt anxious just looking at it. The woman didn't mind her borrowing clothes, but Botan felt funny. That had nothing to do with the fact that the clothes were slightly too big. In fact, Botan liked wearing roomier clothing. It just didn't belong to her. It felt wrong.

What was wrong with her, she wondered as she lied down on the bed. Why couldn't she just accept others' words and move on? Shuichi seemed to understand. He never pressured her, and he always tried to identify what she was feeling. The man made her talk about it, which is what she needed. If not for him, this would have all been bottled up inside her.

She thought about their conversation the previous night, about how Shuichi felt like an outsider and how she related to that. It made her feel completely awful for him. His mother loved him. Botan could tell when she met the woman. Still, Kazuya was…indifferent? She wondered if that was the word. He was kind, but he spoke to Shuichi like a businessman, much like her father had spoken to her. At least Kazuya was a nice businessman, Botan's mind interjected to alleviate the sorrow she felt for her boyfriend. He was so amazing; he didn't deserve to feel like an outcast.

Eventually, she heard his hushed voice, though she couldn't hear what he was saying. Someone must have called him, she figured. In the meantime, she decided to get dressed, and the conversation ended before she started descending the stairs. Moments later, Shuichi came out of the kitchen and smiled at her. A warm smile graced her features as she walked up to him, and he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tight. "Good morning, Botan."

The woman blushed, but she leaned her head against his chest and actually allowed herself to feel peace and comfort. "Who was on the phone?" she murmured against him.

Shuichi was surprised she heard him talking at all, but he didn't even flinch or tense. "Just a friend checking on the progress during this storm," he semi-lied. After all, Yusuke had asked about Botan and how she was doing with the storm. "Did you sleep well?"

Botan nodded against him, still not pulling away. "I was nervous at first…"

"I could tell," Shuichi whispered soothingly while rubbing her shoulders. "But that's all right. I understand, Botan. If it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous too."

Botan pulled away and looked at him disbelieving. "You?" Shuichi's lips quirked in a smile as he nodded. "But…why?"

"Because, Botan," Shuichi murmured, taking her hands in his, "you are my first girlfriend."

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, but Shuichi's amused chuckle snapped her out of it. It was hard to believe that someone so perfect and charming could have been single all this time. "But, you…didn't you once say that girls in your school fawned over you?"

"They did," Kurama admitted, "but they never really saw me. Not the way you do." His green eyes held nothing but honesty as they captures hers. He squeezed her hands in his. "I never had interest dating then. I already told you that there were not many places I felt I belonged, and school was one of those places, and whatever women were interested in me did not make it any better. It was fairly stressful…everyone knowing who my family was, what I had. They only ever saw a rich kid, my looks, or the loner persona I put on." Shuichi laughed, confusing Botan. "Would you believe that eventually all the girls thought I was a troubled teen who needed to be saved by them and shown how to open up?"

Botan actually giggled and shook her head. "Shows how well they knew you," she countered before frowning. "I'm sorry that no one ever really tried to get to know you. It must have been tough."

"I had my few friends, so it didn't matter," Shuichi stated. "Besides, that doesn't really matter now. What matters now is breakfast. I hope you like eggs."

The two entered the kitchen and sat down at the table while engaging in casual conversation during their meal. It felt like a normal morning despite raging storm that had finally started to slow. The two were happy and spent most of the day just relaxing and watching movies. With school cancelled the next day and Shuichi's family still away because of the storm, Botan stayed over again. This time, they didn't need the terrifying wind to encourage Botan to stay with him for the night.

* * *

A/N: So, huh? Did anyone else forget about the underground fighting stuff? If you did, that's okay because that was written a while ago. But who saw it coming back? *Dances around waving arms wildly before smirking* And boy will it be a thing in this story…you'll…understand what I mean in future chapters.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

The week following the storm was business as usual, though now there was something different. The day when Shuichi and Botan had been trapped at his house had changed the dynamic between the couple. Shuichi had suspected that it had something to do with his admittance of love for Botan, even if it was to her childhood friend. Similarly, Botan actually found herself wanting to spend more time with Shuichi. Her mind had accepted that she was in love with him, but her body was still so tense even when he made her feel so wonderful. She was hoping that if she spent more time with him that she'd feel more comfortable. So far, she was right.

During the storm, they had talked more and exchanged fun family stories, and Botan took note that most of Shuichi's childhood fun happened when it was just him and his mother. He had very few memories of his father, but he had a few distant ones that he could not remember clearly. His eyes had shone with a gleam she had never seen when she tried to help him piece together his memories creating a story for him. Even if it wasn't true, even if he could never confirm those memories, the fact that Botan was trying to give him something to cling to regarding his father made his heart burst. His response had been a kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering, as a silent thanks.

The rest of the time, they had been watching movies, Botan leaning against Shuichi, his grip on her comforting as he occasionally stroked her side with his thumb. She would shiver and look up to him with nervous eyes every time he did that, but he continued to gaze upon the movie though his lips did curve upward in a smile. Since that day, he had made more time for her. If Kazuya needed him, he still did his work, but he would go out as soon as he was finished. He had little time, and even if he needed to forgo sleep he'd rather spend it with Botan. They would go for walks in the park, out to dinner, and sometimes Shuichi would return to Botan's apartment and rest on Botan's futon while she did some homework. It was pleasant being in her presence and even more so to be woken up by her. She was so gentle and timid and caring, her tone and light touch conveying all of it. Shuichi never wanted to leave when she woke him, but it was too soon for him to ask to stay.

Valentine's Day was fast approaching, and Shuichi had planned a great day for them. That morning had slightly irritated him. He had requested the week before not to be bothered with company work for Kazuya. He had his own crazy workload from school, and he intended to make Saturday just about him and Botan, their first holiday as an actual couple. Kazuya had agreed to leave him be, but that morning he asked if he would consider going in just for the morning. Shuichi had to bite his tongue. Wrathful words were at the ready. Thankfully, Shiori had intervened reminding Kazuya that her son already had plans with Botan. It seemed Kazuya hadn't even remembered what day it was. His mind was always so wrapped up in his business.

It didn't matter, now. Shuichi and Botan were together. At first, he had taken her to a movie, and she had basically made him let her buy the snacks. He decided not to fight her. After the movie, they walked through the small strip mall and went to the arcade. It had been so long since Shuichi had been to one of those, not since he had taken his stepbrother sometime after their parents were married. Then, he really hadn't enjoyed himself. He remembered standing around watching the young boy fool around with his friends. Now, he actually enjoyed it. The whole time, the two were in competition, and Shuichi was happy to accept defeat during their ski ball battle. Botan was amazing when it came to that game.

They looked around the mall some more, Shuichi stopping at a jewelry store. Botan had noticed that he was behind her, turning to see him staring in the window. Her eyes widened when she saw the store. She knew it was an expensive place and her anxiety jumped. He couldn't possibly be thinking…

Shuichi smiled at the beautiful rose pendant, Botan's favorite flower, and he was itching to buy it. He turned to Botan to ask her what she thought, but his smile fell when he saw the look of terror on Botan's face. His lips settled into a firm line. For a moment, he had forgotten about Botan's guilt when others spent money on her. It had been a nice thought, but he pushed it from his mind and grinned at her, walking away from the window. As he reached her, Shuichi took her hand in his and squeezed it before the two continued. Botan felt relief, and also thankfulness towards Shuichi. She was certain she wouldn't always feel this way when he wanted to do something nice, but for now it spoke volumes to her that Shuichi did not want to do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable.

About an hour later, they finally left the mall. Shuichi had had more plans for them that night including a reservation at a Japanese restaurant. Botan had always wanted to go to this place, but she rarely ever went out of her way to get takeout unless it was from the Applebee's near the campus. It was a beautiful place inside and out, and the chefs were incredible showmen who made such delicious food. Shuichi had gotten them a private table, and he had ordered them each a glass of wine. Botan couldn't help but blush at the words that left his mouth: "The lady will have a glass of white zinfandel." She was going to be feeling the impact of his words for quite a while. He was just too darn charming.

When they were done with dinner, Shuichi had taken Botan out dancing. It had reminded her of when he brought her to the business event, though so much more low key. With the wine in her and the stress of "meeting Shuichi's parents" off her shoulders, Botan was able to really enjoy the way Shuichi's hand held hers and how the other rested on her hip guiding her across the dancefloor.

Neither wanted their day to end, but unfortunately the night came quickly. Shuichi took Botan home and walked her to her door. The two made small talk trying to prolong their time together. That was short-lived as the cold wind blew and made Botan shiver. Her boyfriend pulled her to him, kissing her and holding her close, giving her his warmth. Goodbyes were whispered as he pulled away yet still they both stayed in place. Their foreheads touched, and Botan uttered the words she'd never thought she'd say.

"Do you really have to leave?"

Once the words had left her mouth, a silent invitation was extended. Shuichi grinned and took her hands in his, leaning in to whisper, "Just let me let my mother know. I'll stay with you tonight."

Botan quivered both from the cold and Shuichi's smooth actions. She nodded in response, managing to utter out a quiet "good" as she unlocked her door. Inside, Botan left Shuichi to call Shiori and started getting ready for bed. Shuichi came upstairs shortly after and embraced Botan from behind. A sigh left her, and she melted against him. "I'm glad you're here," she admitted making her boyfriend grin. His hands travelled up her body and moved her hair from her neck. His lips found a spot on her neck that made Botan tremble, a soft moan escaping her and egging Shuichi on. "W-Wait…"

Shuichi stopped for a moment and released her looking slightly confused. Botan offered a sheepish smile and then looked to the bed. She hadn't wanted to stop him, but her body was just so heavy with exhaustion and she didn't think she could stand for long. Somehow, Shuichi seemed to understand, his smile returning as he went to close her lights. Botan turned on the lamp on her nightstand. She smiled when Shuichi came over to the bed and suavely slid under the covers with her.

His hand found her hair and pulled her towards him adjoining their foreheads. "I am very happy to be here with you," Shuichi told her, his voice soft and sincere.

Red dusted Botan's cheeks, but she nodded in agreement and whispered, "Me too."

Shuichi pulled away, a gleam in his eyes. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm ready to sleep yet."

A small giggle left his girlfriend. "Sorry," she murmured. "My body was just tired and I couldn't do the standing anymore. We don't have to go to sleep."

Her boyfriend's playful grin never left his features. "What do you propose?"

"Well," Botan thought about it for a moment, "this is kind of like a sleep over. We could play party games."

"Like what," Shuichi pressed, one of his hands gliding down her side making her shake.

"U-Uh," she stammered. "M-Maybe…t-truth or dare?"

That was a dangerous game to play, Shuichi knew, but at the same time he really didn't have much to hide from the woman. There was no need to tell her about the complexities of his past. In his mind, he had already given up on the underground ring. He had found her, and she was all that mattered to him now. With that thought in mind, there was nothing more to hide. It was no longer an issue. "We could do that," he softly said. "Would you like to go first?"

"Oh, uh," Botan uttered out. "Okay. T-Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Shuichi chose, tightening his grip on her.

"Um…" Botan whispered, thinking hard on what she wanted to know. She knew quite a bit about him as it was that she wasn't sure what she wanted to ask. Then, something came to her. "What's your favorite color?"

Shuichi nearly laughed at the naivety of the question, but he didn't. It simply made his heart burst with joy and admiration, so he didn't want Botan to think he was making fun of her. The hand that was in her hair gently massaged her, and Botan's head fell back against it exposing the soft skin of her neck. "Sh-Shuichi?"

"Blue," he purred as he moved to nuzzle against her neck, his nose lightly tracing her skin. "Truth or dare?"

"T-T-T-Truth…"

Shuichi grinned and darted his tongue out to taste her skin. Botan cried out, her voice sounding both timid yet pleased. His grinned shifted to a smirk. "Are you enjoying this?"

"Y-Y…" Botan tried to get out, but she could only nod out her answer. Shuichi pulled away, giving Botan the ability to think again. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Shuichi replied again. He knew Botan, and he knew she was less likely to pick dare, not purposefully, but they needed to build more trust between them in this game, so he continued to choose truth.

"Favorite hobby?"

Now that was another easy one. "Spending time with you. I don't care doing what."

Her cheeks turned red again, but, before she could say anything, Shuichi practically pounced on her again. "Why are you playing safe?" he asked. "Isn't the point of playing that it's a risk to both sides?"

"I don't like taking risks," Botan disclosed, her eyes full of uncertainty. "It scares me. It's so hard to let go. I want to…but…"

Shuichi got off of Botan and rolled the two of them over so that she was practically on top of him. "You don't have to fear with me," he assured her, his hand tracing her cheek.

She side-stepped his words. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

Botan's eyes widened, and she looked into Shuichi's green orbs. She finally started to catch onto what he was doing. He was using this game to get to know more about her and what she was feeling. Something in her mind clicked, and she realized she could do the same. "Why do you like me?"

Shuichi's eyes widened at the question, a frown appearing on his face. "Didn't we talk about this?" Botan's became wary even though she already knew the answer. He sighed, but took he hands and placed them on his chest. "For starters, you're very kind and sweet. You're also very intelligent and can challenge me." He smiled when she looked stunned. "I connect with you on many levels that don't just include looks and status, though I will admit that I am very attracted to you, your mind, beauty, and calming disposition. There is nothing about you that I don't like."

His blatant honesty made Botan's tummy do somersaults, and she was thankful he placed her hands on his chest for they were the only things holding her up. She didn't know what to say to in response, but she wasn't exactly given much time. "Truth or dare?"

"T…Truth," Botan quietly spoke.

"Why do you like me?"

Despite the fact that she had set herself up for that question, Botan felt completely uneasy. Her whole face heated up. She moved so that she was lying down and hiding herself against the man who was evoking all of these emotions. She started to recite her list, but it was muffled. Shuichi chuckled and hugged her. "I can't understand what you're saying."

"I said that I like you for many reasons, and they all confuse me," she repeated, but she refused to look at him. "I mean, I like that you're so patient and understanding. Like you said, we connect. I feel it too, and that scares me a little because I never felt this way, not even when I dated my best friend for that short time." That made Shuichi's eyes grow, but his expression softened as Botan said all of this. "I'm sorry I've been so…all over the place. I've just never felt anything like this towards any guy, and I just feel like I'm on full alert all the time because of my experiences. I just don't know how to get past any of it, and yet you're just so wonderful and amazing and treat me like a person, like I matter, and I just…I needed that. I still need that.

"All of this beauty you see, I've never been able to," she confessed, tears appearing in her eyes. "Even as you said it, I wanted to shy away from you and that compliment. There's so much wrong with me, and yet someone like you, someone so handsome and well put together, someone I'd normally be terrified to approach…I connect with you so much deeper than anyone in my life and I'm just scared I'm going to mess it up. If I did, I don't think I'd ever get over it. I…I need you, Shuichi. It scares me. I'm not good enough for you."

"Oh Botan," Shuichi sighed, sitting them both up so he could hold her as she cried against him. He had never expected any of her words. Sure, most of them had made him feel a tinge of pride, but they also made him feel terrible. How could Botan keep sitting there thinking she wasn't worth anything? Of course she was good enough. In his mind, she was the only. "Sh," he cooed while running his fingers through her hair. "You may not believe this, but I need you too, more than I've needed anyone in my life." Botan sucked in a surprised gasp. "There's nothing you can do to mess anything up, as I told you. I want to be with you. If either of us ever did something and any misunderstanding arose, I would do whatever it takes to keep us together. That's a relationship, Botan, accepting the bad with the good, because the good will always outweigh any trouble that would come our way."

"Do you really mean that?"

"I do," he spoke with such surety. "Perhaps we should play another game. What other party games do you know?"

Botan turned away from him, Shuichi confused by her actions. "Well, really that's it. My friends and I would watch movies and simply play games like would you rather which is kind of like truth or dare except giving each other two scenarios to choose from. I never went to parties anyone else had, but I would always here other people talk about playing spin the bottle or some game called seven minutes in heaven. I remembered watching a movie where people played that game, and it usually ended with one of the people or both of them being humiliated, so I don't think I would have ever wanted to play that kind of game. I'm sure I would have gotten hurt."

"What makes you say that?" Shuichi asked, his voice soothing as he rubbed her back.

"Like I said, I would have been humiliated," Botan reiterated. "I didn't have many friends at my school. I had many acquaintances and people I saw as friends, but we all lost touch after high school. Anyway, I feel like if I had gone to other parties…first off, high school was when my father's abuse picked up and my trust in men wavered significantly. I wouldn't have wanted to partake in something like that. At the same time, I was bullied a lot in middle school up until the middle of high school, and I'm sure anyone at those parties would have either pressured me, torn me down, or purposefully done something that would have led to public shaming and more self-loathing on my part."

Shuichi could picture what she was saying, and the idea alone made him feel very angry. He was never bullied himself. His aura had pushed many away, and most left well enough alone. He had seen others bullied, and he did step in from time to time. Thinking of Botan being bullied and feeling all alone bothered him more than he could even describe. Part of him wished that he could have been there for her much earlier in life, to protect her from the cruelty she suffered. He could only hope that any damage she received would heal over time. He would help her.

He stole a kiss from the woman who squeaked in surprise as Shuichi brought her down to him. Her surprise worked to his advantage for she was distracted from his hands roaming her body, his fingertips surveying each curve with tender affection. Botan finally pulled away looking to her boyfriend in surprise. He smiled fondly into her amethyst eyes. "We can play our own version," he calmly stated, his eyes full of desire as he added with mirth, "and it doesn't have to only last seven minutes."

Botan nodded beside herself and allowed Shuichi to continue his ministrations. They resumed their passionate session, Shuichi resting his hand on the back of Botan's head. He grinned mischievously before sealing her lips over his. His tongue darted out once again, and like before she gasped, but Shuichi took advantage of her part lips, their lips and tongues continuing their sensual dance. The two had never before felt so completely bonded to another person.

* * *

Yusuke was watching the group fight before theirs with crossed arms. He had kind of wished that Kurama was there to give them some pointers. They'd be fighting the victor next and, although he was certain they'd make due, he was hoping for a better analysis than his own. He was still thankful that they weren't put in the pool to face Toguro's team.

It wasn't really normal for their confident team to feel so compelled to avoid any other, but the men on Toguro's team were…suspect. They had seen them fight multiple times, and their strength and skill were terrifying. They weren't like the others. This wasn't just a place to fight for them. Most of their victims ended up in the hospital…or worse. The group of young adults didn't think they'd ever be ready to fight them.

The Toguro team had a sick fascination with the Spirit Detectives, as they called their team. For some reason, Yusuke would catch the younger of the two Toguro brothers looking his way. His older brother was this saccharine man who said the most inappropriate things at the most inappropriate time, and he had it in for all four of them. Bui was the quietest on the team, but he was a bear in the ring. His vicious fighting style and the power behind his moves contributed to the many competitors' injuries. Both he and Karasu, a deeply disturbed man on the team, had no problem slaughtering anyone who came their way.

The group was nothing more than a bunch of unstable murderers.

Because of this, their team had made sure to steer clear of them. The times they saw them there, they withdrew their numbers. They were in this for kicks and the excitement of fighting, not for a death match. Luck constantly looked out for them because one of them was always missing from their group due to their actual lives, and that made it so that the group could only put in for three man fights much like tonight for this "Valentine's Day Massacre." Seriously, whoever decided to call tonight's event "the Massacre" probably didn't get out much.

Yusuke honestly hadn't wanted to be there. He and Keiko had gotten into an argument that was baseless. She had gotten mad that a sales clerk had been flirting with him. He hadn't fed into it, but he hadn't been rude to her either. That led to Keiko saying he enjoyed the attention, so Yusuke threw back in her face some guy that had fawned all over her in college that she still chatted with from time to time. She explained that she was friends with the guy and nothing more, and so Yusuke asked how that had differed. He had actually wanted an answer so that he could understand what Keiko thought was happening before her eyes, but it left off with her cancelling their date for V-Day and then scheduling herself to work extra hours so that they weren't crossing paths. He would have rather been out with her, but she needed to cool down. He would be able to talk with her once she did. He only hoped she'd appreciate the flowers he sent to her office, Kuwabara's idea and Kurama's assistance actually. His friends were really great.

Kuwabara was beside him watching their competition, but Hiei was over watching those of Team Toguro fight looking incredibly displeased before he closed his eyes and walked away. He returned to the two of them, arms crossed and shaking his head. "So…what happened over there?" Kuwabara asked nervously.

"Those poor bastards," Hiei scoffed. "Hope they didn't have families."

"Was it that bad?" Yusuke asked.

Crimson eyes narrowed at him. "What do you think, Detective? As always, they murdered their opponents in the most gruesome of ways. The last guy isn't even recognizable."

"Shit," Yusuke hissed, shaking his head.

"I don't know about you guys," Kuwabara spoke up, "but I think we should talk to Kurama. It might be time to just cut our losses."

"And why would you want to do that?"

The three men felt tingling up their spines, though only Kuwabara reacted. Yusuke and Hiei were able to remain fairly stoic. "What are you doing here, Karasu?" Yusuke growled. "We're having a team meeting."

"Oh?" the black-haired man crooned looking over their shoulders. "I see your whole team isn't present."

"That's none of your concern," Hiei said hurriedly earning the fighter's attention. Karasu grinned menacingly, the glint in his eyes incredibly creepy that it even chilled Hiei.

"Defensive, are we, Dragon?" Karasu droned. "Where is Kurama?"

"Out," Yusuke remarked vaguely.

"Hm," Karasu muttered in distaste. "Well, I hope we'll meet in the ring at some point. Just be sure to let that fox know not to play his betting scam. Neither team should have any delusions based off of petty tricks. Our battle should be based on skills, strategy, and will, not attempted deceit and seemingly clever ruses."

Yusuke remained straight-faced, wryly stating, "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell him that."

Toguro's man simply smirked and began to walk away, smoothly walking as he demanded, "See that you do."

"That guy gives me the creeps," Kuwabara stated. "Probably shouldn't have talked to him before the fight."

"Get over it, you fool," Hiei hissed. "Keep your wits about you or we're as good as dead."

Yusuke sighed and shook his head. "We'll be fine. These guys are nothing like them." He punched his fist into his palm. "Now let's kick some asses."

* * *

Days passed by, and both Shuichi and Botan were happier than they had ever been. Botan no longer seemed distressed or uncertain about their relationship, and Shuichi was very relieved. He was thankful that she was finally at ease in his presence as he was when he was with her.

They decided to go to the park and chat as they walked the path. Of course, it was still cold, but like each time they went, Shuichi had gotten them some hot drinks from the vendor, hot chocolate for Botan and tea for himself. Their conversation died out giving way to a companionable silence, though eventually Botan started humming a random song Shuichi had never hear. "What song is that?" he asked, interested.

Botan looked over to her boyfriend and smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a song I like to sing at times. It's been stuck in my head for quite some time, probably because I listened to it while studying."

"Do you like to sing?" he wondered. Of course, Shuichi knew she was into music. He remembered her stories about playing the piano and liking music, though she never mentioned singing.

"I do," she responded. "What about you? Do you like to sing?"

A chuckle escaped him. "I don't really sing."

"Aw, that's too bad," Botan stated earning her boyfriend's bewilderment. She noticed and laughed. "I mean, it's just that your voice is very relaxing."

"Heh," he laughed lightly before they reached the other side of the park. A restaurant caught his attention. "Shall we eat?"

"Sure," Botan answered, actually getting used to the fact that Shuichi liked to take her out at times. She was finally starting to allow it and to not feel badly about it. The two went in and had a very nice meal. When they left, though, that was when something had happened, and neither of them were the wiser.

Karasu happened to be in the area having had to take care of business on the more upscale side of town. He had never expected to be in that place, but, when he saw the object of his focus, he had paused. It had been so long since he had seen the vibrant redhead he so desperately wanted to fight. A sinister simper graced his features, but it fell and his expression displayed nothing but anger when he saw the redhead taking the hand of a blue-haired woman.

So she was the one who was steering his rival away from the ring. The thought left Karasu feeling bitter and fuming. The two looked very happy and in love, a revolting thought. Kurama was a brilliant and fiery tactician. He didn't need such feelings of devotion to another unless it was him. That fox should only be consumed with thoughts of when they finally would meet in the ring like he was. That temptress was just an obstacle delaying their inevitable conflict. Their clash would be glorious.

"Oh, Shuichi, look," he heard the wicked seductress chime causing him to grimace. "The sunset…it's beautiful."

"It is," the redhead agreed, taking her hand. "We should make our way back before it gets dark."

"Right," the woman agreed, her tone soft as she looked up at his Kurama. Karasu's eyes narrowed. The woman needed to be dealt with or else he was certain he would never have his chance to show Kurama the sweet strain of pain and death.

Unfortunately, he could not follow them for he knew that Kurama would detect him, but he made sure to take note of the direction the two went. Now that he knew his rival lived around this area, he knew he'd find a way to lure him into competition.

He wouldn't leave him much of a choice.

* * *

A/N: Yup…Karasu…my least favorite character that I've hardly ever written about and rarely ever see in Kurama fanfiction (which actually seems kind of strange to me…he was a sociopath with a creepy obsession…). Anyway, I hope that, for the most part, everyone enjoyed the chapter. Sorry to end fluffiness with um…yeah…damn creeper. Lol!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Shuichi couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was a surprise to see Yusuke at his place waiting for him when he returned home from school. He and Botan had grabbed lunch before her next class, and he needed to get some stuff done for Kazuya before he met up with her later. Seeing his friend, her best friend, there was not what he expected. Still, he let Yusuke in the house and the two talked. Shuichi was thankful his mother was out.

The conversation went something like, "Yeah, that Karasu guy is obsessed with you and expects to fight you. Oh, and he saw through your scheme too and called us out on it."

Of course, it didn't go as smoothly as that.

"That Karasu guy…he's twisted, Kurama," Yusuke warned. "He was asking where you were last night."

"Why?" Shuichi questioned, his brows furrowed. "We weren't even fighting his team."

"He's expecting us to," Yusuke explained, "and he…kind of sort of saw through your betting scheme. Said he wants to fight you, no tricks."

"He wants to fight me…" Shuichi whispered sounding very uncertain.

Yusuke nodded and then shook his head. "Look, the freak is obsessed with you, Kurama. We're thinking we should all withdraw before things get worse."

"You don't have to," Shuichi replied. "You can continue to go whenever you please. Just enter as a three man team. I will not be joining you anytime soon."

"Wow, really?" Yusuke asked, and Shuichi nodded. His expression softened. "Because of Botan?"

Shuichi nodded curtly. "I have such limited time as it is. I want to spend whatever time I do have with her. I only first participated in the underground fights because I was bored with my life and felt a rush, but I…I feel a similar rush with Botan and…" He stopped talking before he said the sentimental thought he was feeling, that the rush he experienced being with Botan was much better than anything he experienced in the ring because it filled the emptiness in his heart. The more time he spent with the woman, the more he realized that he had never felt that happiness in his life before her. With her, he didn't have to pretend to be something he wasn't. He could be himself and trust her, and being with her made him fall further and further into the life he had never known he had wanted.

Yusuke smirked at his friend. "I'm really happy for you both. I just spoke with her the other day. She hardly talked about anything else but you."

The thought brought a touch of a smile to Shuichi's lips. That was a positive thing, but then Shuichi thought about it and wondered what else she might have said. "Has she…has she told you about the difficulties she's been having with it all?"

"Sort of," Yusuke replied. "She mentioned having a couple breakdowns, but she said you've been really understanding about it and she's starting to not focus on the negativity. It's still a challenge, but she's okay overall for the moment. In hindsight, I did warn you about the self-loathing."

Shuichi grimaced. "I wish I had met the man that hurt her."

"Honestly, me too." Shuichi was surprised by the response. "He didn't come around much, and when he did he visited her in the town where she lived or she went out to see him. He didn't come to any birthdays or her graduation party, so I never met him, just saw pictures. I hate what he put her through."

Botan had told Shuichi that her father didn't come around much, so it didn't fully stun him when Yusuke said he never came to her birthdays, but at the same time that angered him. That meant the man never celebrated anything with his daughter, and her birth was something that should be celebrated. Had she not been born, Shuichi didn't even want to think about it. "How much has she told you about him?"

Shuichi looked to Yusuke who seemed to be mentally debating and studying him, something his friend never seemed to do with him. "Not much," he admitted. "She's still grieving. She told me some of the things he had said to her, how he tore her down. She admitted she hadn't spoken to him much the year before he died. She just said that he said something from which they couldn't recover." Yusuke's hesitance flared up, and Shuichi noticed his uneasy shift. His eyes narrowed. "What did he say?"

"I shouldn't have said anything," Yusuke hurriedly said. "I just wanted to see if you knew. This is really something you should wait for Botan to tell you herself."

"Yusuke, if it will help me understand her better, I want to know," Shuichi argued. "I already know he commented on her work ethic and physical shape. What else could it be?"

"She's going to know someone told you," Yusuke remarked. "She's going to know _I_ told you. Do you really want to chance opening that can of worms?"

"I assure you, I can be discrete," Shuichi replied. "Just tell me."

"Ugh, fine, but remind me of this the next time I try fishing for information," he muttered before sighing. "The fight they had the year before was originally over health insurance. Botan needed insurance for something medical…she had knee problems, but anyway, the winter before the surgery she had gotten food poisoning and her surgery then was cancelled and he took her off the insurance before Christmas. Sent her a letter about it, and she finally decided to fight back. In hindsight, she probably shouldn't have done what I suggested because it caused so much backlash from her father and stepmother, but she posted the letter on Facebook for everyone to see what he was putting her through. His reaction was less than ideal, and they didn't talk for a while.

"When she did need the surgery, she asked for his help again because her school insurance wasn't going to cover it. It really didn't cost him any extra to put her back on, and he always made it seem like he was considering helping her, but he never really gave her an answer, so she asked again, and he said three things I know she carries with her and that may make you understand why she acts the way she does."

"I'm listening," Shuichi said patiently, though his heart was raging from what he had already heard. His daughter had needed his help, and he refused her. How much worse could it be?

Yusuke sighed. "He said first that she only ever loved him for his money and health insurance," he stated, making Shuichi jolt. "In fact, when he did die and her stepmother said money was left for her, Botan didn't want to accept it at all because she felt it would be like proving him right, and she even feels guilty when she uses it for something for herself that's not rent or food. He also said it was okay if she thought he was a bad father, which she never said, because he thought she was a bad daughter. He…also threw the term illegitimate in there somewhere to describe her. The day it happened, when she called me…I couldn't even understand her at first because she was crying so hard. It was like he had succeeded in breaking her."

Shuichi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe any person would talk to their child like that. Yusuke was right. It now made perfect sense why Botan acted the way she did. He understood why his buying things for her upset her, because her father had claimed she was all about money and questioned her love. Botan probably thought that he'd feel used even though he was buying her things out of his own volition. Maybe she even thought that her stepmother who she still spoke to from time to time would look down on her with judgment for being involved with a man from a rich family.

It also explained her issues with her own self-worth and fears of pushing him away. She was probably terrified to let someone get too close because they could say something as mean and vicious as her father and she would never recover, but at the same time she wanted to be close to someone and be vulnerable even though she was usually guarded.

The fact that the man used the word illegitimate to describe his own beautiful, amazing daughter incensed Shuichi more than he could even say.

"I won't say anything to her about it," he said, his voice incredibly even and forced.

Yusuke could sense his anger. "Yeah, let's hope so. I know you're feeling what I was when she told me. The amount of times she asked me if _I_ thought she was a bad daughter drove me nuts. She gave the man more chances than any normal human being, and all because she loved him and her brother and wanted to just drop all of it. The amount of times she offered him a free 'start over' pass…I'll just never understand it. She never will, either."

 _I never will,_ Shuichi thought to himself, but he only offered Yusuke a nod before he saw the time and heaved a heavy sigh. "I need to get to Kazuya's company now. Thank you for the warning, but like I said it's a moot point. Without me there, you'll never have to worry about the Toguro Team, and if something changes with their numbers, just bow out. I know the three of you enjoy it, so don't let fear stop you."

"I wouldn't say it's fear exactly," Yusuke responded. "Just…something's off with them. Don't worry; we'll avoid fighting them. You just go out and live life and get my best friend past this. If anyone can do it, I think it's you."

Shuichi smiled to his friend and nodded his silent promise. Yusuke hadn't even needed to ask that of him. He already planned to keep helping Botan get out of this shell she was hiding in for protection.

In the meantime, though, he had work to do. For some reason, he was dreading going in that day.

* * *

It had been about an hour since Shuichi had shown up to do some clerical work for Kazuya. He was working in one of the private offices, thankful for some peace and quiet. Kazuya came by every so often to check up on him, but Shuichi was fine. He had told his stepfather that he should focus on what he needed to get down. The youth was fine with the workload.

Of course, Kazuya had to come by once more, Shuichi looking up about to reiterate his remark, but his voice died in his throat when he saw a familiar face.

Sakyo, the manager of the Toguro Team.

Shuichi managed to keep his expression neutral despite the smirking man. His glance to his stepfather prompted an introduction. "Shuichi, this is one of my old friends, Sakyo. He and I went to business school together. His company is one of our partners."

"Is it, now?" Shuichi replied stoically while getting up from his seat. He walked over to the man and held out his hand. Sakyo didn't miss a beat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, _Shuichi_ ," Sakyo replied. "Of course, I feel like I already know you." Shuichi felt his stomach drop and anger rise, and he gripped Sakyo's hand harder. Sakyo simply chuckled. "I've heard so much about you from Kazuya. Your father thinks very highly of you."

"Stepfather," Shuichi clipped earning a surprised look from Kazuya.

The businessman then decided to corral his friend to see the rest of the company, the two men leaving the room. Shuichi sat back down and released an angry huff. He couldn't believe that Sakyo knew his stepfather and had now seen him. Would he tell this Karasu guy where he worked? What more had Kazuya told this guy about him? He shook his head. He needed to keep his wits about him. He would not fall victim to the mind games of the Toguro Team.

* * *

He hoped to leave the company quietly without incident. Luck was not on his side as Sakyo caught Shuichi as he was exiting the building. "Let's talk," the man said.

"Not here," Shuichi remarked. "Unless you're trying to get me in trouble with my stepfather."

"Of course not," Sakyo assured him. "Come on."

The two were walking through busy streets, Shuichi going anywhere but to Botan's or home. They were silent in the beginning, but then Sakyo said, "I haven't seen you lately."

Shuichi answered, "I've been faced with other obligations between the company and school."

"Are any of those obligations related to a kind-hearted, blue-haired woman?"

Shuichi stopped dead in his tracks and earned Sakyo's attention. The heated glare of his emerald eyes made the man grow serious. He decided to explain himself. "Karasu, one of the men on the team, is desperate to fight you. He saw you with the woman. You'll need to be careful. He is a very unstable man."

"Are you threatening me?" Shuichi nearly growled. "Are you threatening her?"

Sakyo shook his head. "That's not it," he admitted. "To be honest, I would never be involved with something like that. This is just a courtesy, a warning out of the respect I have for Kazuya. I never imagined you'd be his… _step_ son."

Call him crazy, but Shuichi actually believed the man. He hadn't called him out on the fighting in front of Kazuya, and he had given him a warning. It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he was now certain he needed to leave the underground ring behind for good. This Karasu would get over it. It's not like he knew where he or Botan lived, anyway, so there was really nothing to worry about.

Perhaps that was the positive about having an alias.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Well, I meant for this chapter to be up sooner, but I had a bit of a mental block. Story is all planned out, though, so that's good. Late night planning works wonders XD

Welp, onward :D

* * *

Yusuke had been over to Shuichi's house the previous day, but he hadn't expected to be invited over again so soon…not that he was invited in the first place. He certainly hadn't expected to see his friend's mother or to be offered milk and cookies. He politely declined the offer saying that he wasn't staying long, anyway, though he did take a water to appease the mother. Shuichi descended the stairs, his eyes serious. Yusuke's expression dropped upon seeing the intensity in Shuichi's eyes, a look he only had when he was mentally calculating fights in the ring.

The two went up to the redhead's room, Yusuke moving to sit on his friend's bed as Shuichi shut the door. "So…" Yusuke murmured, "what's this about?"

"This," Shuichi replied, his voice dark as he handed Yusuke an envelope. Yusuke eyed his friend strangely before he took out the contents. His eyes widened in shock before he looked to Shuichi in panic. There were pictures of Botan going in and out of her apartment, going to her classes, and standing alone in the lunch line. Yusuke could not believe what he was seeing. Even worse, the redhead was livid. "What the hell, Kurama?"

Shuichi sighed and shook his head. "I was warned by Sakyo," he spoke quietly, "that Karasu had seen Botan with me out one day. If he had followed us, I would have noticed, so I assumed that this meant he wouldn't find us. He must have searched for her and found her. He's trying to bait me into fighting him. The team manager warned me only because he is a colleague of Kazuya. He said that Karasu was unstable."

Yusuke paled and placed the pictures on his bed. "You need to tell her," he demanded. "This psycho sadist is stalking my childhood friend. She needs to be aware that-"

"No," Shuichi responded forcefully, silencing Yusuke. "I know what this means, Yusuke, to both you and to me. You know what she means to me. If I tell her, though, she'll be terrified. You need to leave this be. I already know what I'm going to do."

The dark-haired man knew it too. "You're really going to risk fighting him? Kurama, you can't. You don't know what he'll do."

"Even if I don't fight him, even if I warn her, he will still go after her," Shuichi explicated. "I need to fight him, alone, and it needs to be arranged now…even if it isn't in the ring."

"You can't do that!" Yusuke shouted, standing abruptly before he cringed at his own volume and looked to his door. He sat down again, his voice a bit softer. "Botan and your mother would be devastated if something happened to you. You can't trust this madman. We'll figure something else out. There's gotta be another way."

"There isn't," Kurama asserted. "I've been thinking about this all day, Yusuke. I'm not taking this lightly. The reason I called you here…I needed you to know. If something happens to me, you need to protect her."

"You mean you want me to tell her," Yusuke huffed. "Do you know what kind of position that puts me in?"

"I would do it for you with Keiko," Shuichi reminded him. "I almost had to when you fought Goki when we first started there."

A sigh escaped Yusuke, but he nodded in response and stood up walking to the door. "Be careful," he warned. "I really don't want to have to tell Botan any of this."

"Understood," Shuichi affirmed. "Thank you."

No other words were exchanged between the two as Yusuke left him. Once alone, Shuichi took out his phone. Because of his impromptu meeting with Sakyo, he knew where to find his contact information. Taking a deep breath, Shuichi steeled himself and dialed the number he had gotten from a secretary at Kazuya's company. "This is Kurama," he spoke as soon as he heard Sakyo's voice. "I need you to get a message to Karasu. I will fight him."

* * *

Because of Karasu's day job, whatever that was, their fight wasn't able to happen until the end of the month. Thankfully, that meant that Botan was safe for the time being. Shuichi had gone along with Karasu's desires. Still, all the time he spent with Botan couldn't be enjoyed to the fullest. He knew she was worried about him. She tried to get him to confide in her, but he had lied to her and told her it was something work related and would settle down soon, that he would be fine. He knew she could see right through him, but she would never be able to tell that everything about what he said had been a lie. After a while, she stopped trying to get him to talk and instead showed him with her actions that she was there.

Those moments were probably the best in his life. That was the irony. He was strangely aware that these treasured moments with her might be the last. How desperately he wanted to tell her, but he knew he could never. She would panic over losing him just as she was doing always because of the sudden death of her father. He would never put this on her. Hopefully, he would live, and after he planned to tell her how he truly felt about her. These two weeks since Valentine's Day…all he learned was that he never wanted to be away from her as long as he lived.

He just needed to make sure she was safe, first.

* * *

Karasu was waiting for him in the middle of a hidden alleyway looking incredibly pleased with himself. This was the match he had so desperately wanted for so long, and he intended to be the victor. First, though, he intended to enjoy every minute of Kurama's strategic mind. "I'm glad you finally decided to meet me," Karasu stated, and Shuichi's eyes narrowed. He really hadn't had a choice. "This has been long overdue."

"Maybe in your mind," Shuichi returned getting into a defensive stance. "I don't understand what you're after."

His opponent's face fell before he smirked and snickered, shrugging in a flamboyant fashion. "Really? You don't understand? Kurama, we're destined to fight. I see how you do things. You're always so calm and calculated, even in the face of danger. You don't fear for your life because no one has ever challenged you. I, on the other hand…" He took out a switchblade. "I _can_ hurt you. I can kill you, and that excites you. I see that look in your eyes, so full of pain. The reason you even got involved was because you want to feel pain, and I can provide that for you."

Shuichi wasn't too worried about what the man was saying. He knew Karasu was wrong. The reason he got involved was because he was bored and wanted to waste the money his stepfather gave him. It was stupid, yes, and he did feel slightly invigorated when fighting, but it wasn't because of pain. He enjoyed being able to outsmart his opponent. Somehow, this sick man thought he had outwitted him. The fact that he had a blade was nerve-wracking, yes, and Shuichi knew he would take some damage. There was no escaping that, but he already was thinking of ways to minimalize the damage while taking out the man. Other than that, there was no reason to feed into his words.

Anger flared in Karasu at the look in his opponent's vibrant green eyes. They were the eyes of a fighter who wasn't in the fight. Kurama was already thinking far in advanced, to a future, and he wasn't taking their fight seriously. There could only be one reason why, and that would be the way to entice the redhead.

"You better not take this lightly," he warned, smirking. Shuichi's brow rose in only slight curiosity over Karasu's change in demeanor. "If you don't fight me seriously, if you can't kill me, because, I assure you, I plan to show you the sweet beauty of death, then I'll find your little girlfriend." Shuichi flinched, his eyes becoming more calculating and heated. "And when I find her, I'll be happy to reenact our lesson to her and send her after you."

Shuichi's fists clenched in rage. It didn't surprise him that this lunatic was bringing Botan into this. Once the bastard noticed the reaction it was having on the redhead, he continued to go on and on about how beautiful the woman would look in death, how he'd do it, the contrast of the blood with her hair…and Shuichi saw red. It was both a curse and a blessing for, when Karasu was distracted, Shuichi launched himself towards the man, thus beginning the fight.

Karasu was taken aback, but he quickly shifted, managing to escape Shuichi's fist. The redhead nearly stumbled, but caught himself despite his momentum, moving to defend himself, and just in time, too. Karasu had moved so quickly, making a motion to strike Shuichi down with his knife. Green eyes widened. He could get away, limit the damage, but he could see the strike before it happened. He had thought Karasu was going for arms, but instead his trajectory was altered, and Shuichi was sliced in the side. Shuichi had pushed back to make sure that it would just be a flesh wound, but he could feel the sting and the blood pouring out. He needed to change his tactic. Karasu already had the upper hand.

His mind refocused, forcing thoughts of what Karasu said out of his mind. Instead, he focused on what he was fighting for, a life with Botan and free of this pointless fighting. He just needed to get through this one last fight. It was time to fight intelligently. He couldn't let Karasu get another chance to strike.

The dark-haired fighter chuckled darkly. Yes, this was the battle he had desired, been _longing_ for, and Kurama was not a disappointment. Even wounded, he was still standing and able to ignore the pain of the flesh wound. How he'd love to torture him, but he knew that this fighter was deserving of a true competition and not a one-sided session like many others he had faced or imprisoned.

In his reflection, Shuichi managed to move fast, using the sun as a means to shield him from Karasu's view. He launched himself at the madman, the two fighting over the knife. Shuichi had Karasu's wrists in his grip and used the pressure points to get Karasu to drop the knife. Shuichi grabbed the metal so quickly, as his life did truly depend on it. He had outsmarted the dark-haired fighter. Using the sun once more as cover, he pierced the knife into the fighter's stomach and twisted, Karasu crying out and coughing up blood. The crimson liquid trickled down his mouth as he grinned up at Kurama whispering one word. _"Beautiful."_

Karasu passed out quickly, and Shuichi covered his own wound with his hand. He felt like he was being drained of all energy, but he needed to make sure that Karasu could truly cause no more harm. He withdrew the knife, just in case, and Karasu didn't even twitch. Shuichi weakly crawled over to the other body checking the man's pulse, breathing, and sound of the heart. No signs of life were detected, and Shuichi breathed out a sigh of relief as he mentally declared him dead.

Managing to stand, Shuichi started heading to the one place he wanted to be. He didn't care if he was wounded badly or that he was bleeding. He didn't know how much time he had, and he didn't want to waste it in a panic and try to get himself to the hospital.

Botan.

He needed to get to Botan.

* * *

It was a cloudy day that morning, but it gave way to sun, just how Botan liked it. Spring would hopefully be there soon. She needed to get out of the house more. Of course, Shuichi made sure she got out whenever she could. He was wonderful like that.

She sighed as her mind went to her boyfriend. He had been acting strangely ever since Valentine's Day, or, to be more precise, a few days after. Multiple times she had tried to get him to open up, but he refused. It made her feel like she wasn't doing a good enough job as his girlfriend. He could always tell what was wrong with her, but when it came to him she couldn't dissect what he was feeling.

He assured her he would be fine, and maybe he would be. Maybe it really was just work. He had told her time and time again that he hated assisting Kazuya and only did it for his mother's sake. She had encouraged him to maybe tell his mother what he was feeling. Could that be what this was all about? Had he told her like she suggested only to have it backfire? Botan really hadn't thought Shiori would be mad at her son for disliking his stepfather's field.

Maybe that's why he refused to tell her. It was definitely a very Shuichi thing to do to protect her so she wouldn't feel guilty. She was doing much better now about that feeling so much closer to him than ever. Hopefully, he'd stop by today so that she could talk to him about it. She truly believed she was at a place where she could open up to him fully and act as partners. This was the first time she believed anything like that was possible for her.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and made her smile. Maybe that was Shuichi, somehow knowing she was thinking about him.

Botan went to open the door, hoping it was Shuichi so that they could talk, but she nearly shrieked when she actually did see him on his knees, bleeding all over the place. He looked up into her fearful eyes. "B-Botan…"

"Shuichi!" she said hurriedly, kneeling in front of him. "Oh my God, what happened? We need to call a doctor!"

"N-No," he managed to say. "No doctors. Please."

Almost as soon as the words left him, Shuichi passed out on Botan. The woman was freaking out inside. She knew she should have called the hospital, but he didn't want doctors, and he was already fading. They wouldn't get there in time.

It took all of her strength, to get him upstairs to the bathroom and remove his shirt. She had plenty of first aid supplies as she was taught well by her mother. She knew she had to clean the wound and then bandage him tightly to put pressure. Thankfully, she had a ton of gauze, but Shuichi really did need to get to a doctor. When he woke up, she'd demand he call someone. He had to. Botan couldn't do this. She was so incredibly scared.

After Botan had bandaged him up, she realized that he had bled all over his pants too, and she knew she needed to remove them and get him into bed. She needed to make sure he was as comfortable as possible. Once he was resting in her bed, she sighed. His expression looked less pained, but his breathing was still labored. _Painkillers,_ she thought. She remembered that she still had some left from a past surgery, though they were very weak narcotics. It had to be enough for him.

Quickly, she went to get water and to find the bottle, and Shuichi was awake when she returned to the room. He looked over to her, not lifting his head, and smiled in a way that took Botan's breath away. "Hey," he greeted quietly.

"Oh Shuichi," she replied, rushing to his side with the water and pill. "Here, take this."

Shuichi nodded and let Botan place the pill in his mouth and give him a sip of water. "Thank you." His brow furrowed as tears started forming in her eyes. He reached out for her, softly saying, "What's wrong?"

That was all it took for the dam to shatter. Botan broke down into sobs holding him tightly while being mindful of his injury. Shuichi stroked her hair, nuzzling his nose against her. He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of her shampoo, a scent that was calming because he associated it with her. He held her as tightly as he could, thankful that he was here in her arms. He didn't know how to calm her, so he tried to make a joke instead. "You make a good nurse, Botan. My own personal Florence nightingale." Botan choked back on a sob that also sounded like a humorless laugh.

She pulled away, her teary eyes meeting his. "W-What happened?" she questioned. She needed to know how he got into this condition, and also something else. "And why in God's name would you not let me call a doctor?"

Her boyfriend frowned and then sighed. "I was in a simple street fight," he told her, though he knew that it was a lie. There was nothing simple about it. "I made it out, thankfully, but it was not something I could go public with. It wouldn't look good."

Botan shook his head. "You were bleeding," she nearly shouted. "You could have died! It doesn't matter how it would have looked. Besides, if you had the ability to get here, you could have found a phone to call an ambulance or gone to a doctor for help. You could have called me from there. I would have been there instantly." Shuichi didn't respond at all, his eyes just taking her in completely. It was overwhelming for her. She couldn't hold back the new wave of tears threatening to fall. "Why?" her voice cracked as she blinked back tears. They fell anyway. "Why did you come to me?"

Shuichi lightly touched her cheek, making her heart feel a jolt as soon as his skin grazed hers. "If I were going to die," he whispered in his delirious state, "then the one I would want to see last wasn't a doctor. I wanted to see you, Botan, the woman I love."

Botan had little chance to respond before Shuichi kissed her, and between the deliria, the painkiller, the fear, relief, and grief, he started to remove Botan's clothes. His girlfriend started to panic, but the way he touched her had her surrendering to him. She embraced him, wary of his wound and avoiding touching that area. He pulled away, adjoining their foreheads, and Botan sighed contently, forgetting that she wanted to demand he go. He did seem okay now. Still, she was concerned and tried to pull away from him. His grip on her body only tightened.

"I promise," he growled in her ear, "that I will be fine. I've been in worse pain before."

It felt like a trap door had opened from beneath her. Botan looked to Shuichi horrified and feeling a soul-crushing dread, but he just smiled at her like he hadn't even said it. Maybe he didn't realize he even had, the painkiller kicking in. She needed to know, to understand. Was this not a one-time thing? "Shuichi, wha—?"

He kissed her again, this time more forcefully lulling her once again into a false feeling of peace. Botan couldn't even think straight or remember his words as he shed the remainder of their clothes. Shuichi didn't know what brought on his own desire, but his normal restraint had completely disappeared. He wanted Botan, and he was going to have her. He would show her how much he truly loved her, and nothing would separate them, ever.

They were free.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

And here we are, the chapter I've wanted to write since I thought up the story two years ago. Well, this chapter and next. Even though this has come up so quickly now that I've been working on it, I'll admit that after this chapter there are only five more, if you can believe it. I honestly can't, but that's because it's been sitting for so long on my computer waiting to be finished. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I can't wait to get started on the next.

* * *

The bright sun washed over Shuichi, warming him with its light, and he was strangely aware that he wasn't in his room. Usually, his curtains were closed at night, and the bed did not feel like his own either. His eyes opened and focused, and memories of the day before came flooding back to him. His eyes widened before he grinned and chuckled.

He and Botan had made love.

Sure, many other things had happened that day, but he had finally expressed himself to her, and she hadn't fought him on anything. If anything, she had egged him on with her soft cries and breathy moans. He felt shivers just thinking about it, and he looked to his side expecting to see Botan.

She wasn't there.

Well, it was a school day for her, and she probably figured he'd be fine while she went to her class. She did leave him more water and another painkiller. It seemed like his bleeding had slowed, too. Botan really knew what she was doing.

Shuichi had managed to get himself down the stairs slowly, and, despite the wound, he felt great. Of course, he found the place completely empty, so he was certain she went to class. There was no way to confirm that, though, because there was no note, no anything. Shuichi honestly felt a bit disappointed that she wasn't there, but he couldn't linger on that. He looked at the time and realized that her class would be over soon.

Thankfully, he had left a pair of clothes there once just in case he ever got trapped there like she had at his house. He had gotten dressed, locked up, and left, heading over to the school. It was tough to walk, the weather still cold and his injury still present, but he wanted to see her. He really hoped that if he did, the pit forming in his stomach would go away.

* * *

He waited outside her class, watching as all the other students left, but Botan never came out. Shuichi found this strange and went inside the room only to find it empty with no other doorway. Botan never went to class; that's all he could gather from this. Worried about her, Shuichi sent her a text and waited around in case he got a response. None ever came. He tried to call her, but her line went straight to voicemail.

It dawned on Shuichi that maybe what had happened between him and Botan had been too sudden and too much for her. He sighed in relief. She just needed time to process. Shuichi was certain he'd hear from her eventually, but he needed to give her the space she needed. She would come to him when she was ready—or at least he thought so.

After a couple of weeks, this had still been going on, and Shuichi was becoming even more and more apprehensive. Though he had healed physically, the fact that Botan was avoiding him left even more of a scar on him. He was beginning to feel wary and desperate.

Perhaps Yusuke would know what happened. Botan told her friend everything, and she didn't know Yusuke knew him. He took out his phone and selected the number, and Yusuke picked up right away. _"Kurama, what's up? Are you okay?"_

Shuichi sighed. So, Botan must have said something, or at least he hoped. "Have you heard from Botan?"

" _What?"_ Yusuke nearly screamed. _"You mean you haven't heard from her either. Kurama, we need to tell someone about Karasu and—"_

"That is not necessary," he said, unusually calm. So, Botan really hadn't contacted him, and once again Shuichi was feeling worried. Before Yusuke could protest, Shuichi added, "I took care of him. He's dead."

" _What?"_

"I'm not going to repeat myself," Shuichi grunted. "I need to know where Botan is. She hasn't been taking my calls or answering my texts, and she hasn't been home or at school in days. I'm worried." There was silence on the other line. "Hello?"

" _I'm here,"_ Yusuke stated. _"Just, hold up, okay? I'll call Botan's mother and find out if she's there. It's possible she decided to visit her for a while."_

Shuichi hung up and lied down on his bed feeling completely overwhelmed. His side was still tender as he sprawled out, but he didn't care. Something was wrong; he could feel it, and he didn't know what to do about it. He had to trust that Yusuke would figure this all out. Still, something was causing him to feel panic. He hadn't even been this frightened when faced with an armed madman. This, though, was causing him so much stress and pain. Where was Botan? Was she okay? She normally talked to Yusuke every day, yet he hadn't even heard from her? What was happening?

His phone rang, and Shuichi immediately answered. "Hello?"

" _Kurama…"_ Yusuke said nervously. _"Well, I have good news, and a bit of bad news. Botan is at her mother's, but when she showed up a couple weeks ago Botan was stressed beyond all reason, and she's not taking calls, not even from me."_

Shuichi felt dread. "Did…did she say what caused the stress?"

" _Yeah,"_ Yusuke said _. "She said Botan told her school was stressing her out."_ Silence. _"Wait, Kurama…did something happen?"_ Shuichi was still silent. _"Kurama?"_

"I had fought with Karasu, like I said," Shuichi reiterated, "and after I went to Botan. I was wounded, and she treated me."

" _Oh my God…does she know?"_

"No," Shuichi told him. "I told her it was just a street fight."

" _Jeez,"_ Yusuke remarked. _"I can get why she's stressed, but that doesn't really sound like her. Did anything else happen besides her treating your wounds?"_ There was nothing, not even a breath on the other line. _"Kurama, hello—?"_

But Shuichi had already hung up the phone feeling disheartened. This had not been something he was expecting, but in hindsight he was warned. He knew that he had put Botan under a lot of pressure with his stunt and after, but he had not expected this reaction.

Botan really had run away, and he was the one who pushed her to it.

* * *

As the days continued, Shuichi refused to give up. He continued to try to call her, but Botan was being stubborn and ignored him and his texts. In some, he begged her to at least talk to him, admitting that he was worried about her. The reason Botan ignored such texts was because they made her feel a bit bitter. She found it ironic that her ignoring him was concerning him when he had revealed that he apparently got hurt a lot and never told her.

Botan needed time to think. She had surrendered herself to becoming Shuichi's partner only to learn that, like her father, he had a separate life and lied to her. It was always her biggest fear that this would happen if she trusted someone too deeply. It wasn't fair that she had to be right.

She hadn't told her mother the truth yet. She didn't even know how to broach the topic of why she was truly avoiding her boyfriend because it was more than just her fears being confirmed. For the first week, she had been avoiding Shuichi exiting classes early or a different way if she could. There was just no way she could face him after what had transpired between them. There were so many reasons she couldn't bring herself to see him or talk to him. She had treated him while fearing she was going to lose him. He had _told her_ that he could have died and _wanted her_ to be the last person he saw. That would have destroyed her. She needed time to process.

After a couple weeks, though, she had been starting to feel sick, and the reality of her situation settled in. She and Shuichi had slept together. It was never her intention to have sex before marriage, even with someone she loved. Botan never wanted to risk getting pregnant, and in the moment she and Shuichi hadn't even thought about birth control. She hadn't wanted to bring a life into a world where she wasn't married to its father. Of course, she knew it wouldn't be like her father and mother, but now she was questioning whether or not Shuichi would even be around, if they would even work well as partners. She just didn't know anymore.

When the pregnancy test had turned positive, Botan felt completely lost and alone. She couldn't tell anyone—not her mother, not Yusuke, and especially not Shuichi. She felt isolated. It was then that she asked her teachers for two weeks off for personal reasons since there were no exams. They had been understanding, having seen the type of stress the girl was under all semester. They had given her the notes, some of them already putting their lectures online. She would deal with it on her own, but her personal life needed attention right now. She just needed to think about what she was going to do.

Some teachers could not give her the notes right away, so Botan told them she'd have her friend, Yusuke, pick them up. She hadn't yet called him days into her escape. She felt so ashamed that, for all intents and purposes, she had run away, but she just couldn't handle the stress. Maybe, she really was like her father, and that left her feeling worse while being alone and pregnant.

When Yusuke finally called, probably worried about her too, since she didn't call or text him once, he promised to go up to the school and grab her work for her. He was great like that. Unbeknownst, to her, though, Yusuke had told Shuichi where to find her. In fact, after Shuichi had hung up, Yusuke had given him time and then called back encouraging him to go, giving him the address.

Shuichi was outside, frozen in place. After being avoided for nearly a month, being separated from the woman he loved, he didn't know what to say. He had bought her a bouquet of roses, her favorite flower, and he had something else for her. He stared at the door like a coward for the longest time, but he gathered his courage and went to knock on the door. Botan answered, her eyes widening when she saw him. She looked so unbelievably breathtaking. He offered her a weak smile.

But Botan wouldn't have any of it.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing.

Shuichi was shocked by such a hostile greeting. Never had he ever heard Botan talk like that to anyone. "I needed to see you."

"Leave," she demanded before almost closing the door in his face.

Shuichi caught it. "Botan, please…we have to talk. Actually, here."

He tried to hand her the small, wrapped package, and Botan scoffed, her voice getting even more irate. "You can't just show up here unannounced and try to buy me!"

Sadness filled Shuichi's eyes. Was that really what she thought of him? Where did this hostility come from? Once inside, though, he could see her fully. She looked pale and her eyes looked so tired. Most likely, she hadn't been sleeping. He wanted to reach out to her, pull her close, apologize for whatever he did to push her away, and so much more. He loved her. "Please, Botan, I just want to have a word with you. I'm not trying to buy you off. You don't even have to open is until after I leave. I just…I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Botan crossed her arms and looked away, lying. "I'm fine."

She was a terrible liar, and Shuichi didn't believe her, but he was on thin ice as it was. "Why did you run away?"

Anger flashed through her eyes. "You ran first," she hissed before tears started to form. "Do you have any idea how horrifying it was to help you without calling a doctor, how scared I was when you told me you wanted me to be the last person you saw if you were to die? I couldn't even sleep that night after we…Shuichi, I can't be with someone who doesn't value their own life. It's too much."

"Botan…" he breathed out, stunned. "W…What makes you think I don't value my life?"

"You were delirious," she told him. "You _told_ me that you've been in worse pain before. How many fights, Shuichi? How much have you been keeping from me?" He stared at her, wide-eyed, and she shook her head. "We can't be together," she said, her voice cracking and heart breaking. "You don't even see me as a partner. If you did, you would have told me. This is over."

Shuichi looked down to the ground feeling so hurt. He tried to mask it, but he couldn't, and Botan could see right through him. In one smooth motion, he stood up and walked to the door without looking at Botan. He stood there, hand on the knob as he calmly said, "Please just listen to my present." Botan eyed him strangely, not making sense of what he had just ordered her to do. "You'll…understand later." He looked back over to her, and he looked more defeated than Botan thought she'd ever see. "Goodbye...Botan…"

He turned and opened the door, walking away, and Botan considered calling out to him. She thought against it, though, letting him walk out of her life. She just couldn't do this anymore.

It had overwhelmed her so much to even talk about it that she ran into her room and locked the door. She spent the rest of the afternoon sobbing, the present forgotten for the moment.

* * *

Later, Botan had taken a shower. Her mother had called seeing if she wanted to meet her at the hospital for dinner. Botan told her she just needed to rest. She was honestly glad her mother had the nightshift or else she would have learned what was really going on. She still didn't know how to feel about Shuichi's visit, let alone _how_ he had even found her. She didn't ever remember giving him her mother's temporary address, but, with her mind not functioning at its best capacity, she couldn't be certain.

She went to make herself some food, but felt too nauseated to even try to eat. Her eyes were pulled to the roses Shuichi had brought her, lying on the table, wilted like how she felt. The box her had left her…he told her to listen to his present. She didn't know what that meant. Curiosity overtook her, especially considering that he had put his final hope in that. She decided to humor him, and she found a cassette tape inside the prettily wrapped box.

Botan found her old cassette player and slid the tape in, hitting play. At first there was nothing, but then a familiar song came on, a song she hadn't heard in quite some time. It was a song by Bon Jovi, "You Had Me From Hello." She always thought the song was lovely, and she couldn't help but smile until the reality of life kept hitting her over the head. She almost stopped the song, tears starting to fall, but something inside her compelled her to listen, to do as Shuichi had asked, maybe because she thought she owed him in some way or maybe because she thought she'd get closure and could close this chapter of her life, however impossible that seemed.

When the song finished playing, there was silence again, and Botan almost stopped the tape, that is until she heard Shuichi's voice.

" _Botan,"_ he spoke so softly. _"I didn't know how else to get you to hear me."_ She blinked at the tape, clearly containing a message. _"It is clear to me that I messed up somehow. I know I jumped into things, rushed you along, but I had no intentions of doing that, not until I told you how I truly felt._

" _I love you, Botan, with all my heart, and well…I chose this song because it is the best representation to how I feel. From the moment I met you, the moment I heard your voice, I knew we'd be together. Even if I had to wait the rest of my life, I wouldn't have cared just as long as I was with you in some way._

" _I was content being your friend, but so incredibly excited when you agreed to go out with me. That moment had changed everything for me, my entire life, who I was…all for the better._

" _Anyway, you once asked me if I sang, and I said I don't sing, but…just this once, for you, I'd like to, if only to make you understand. I promise, by the end of this tape, you will."_

Moments later, Shuichi's soft voice started singing the song a cappella, and it nearly took Botan's breath away, especially because she could practically feel his emotions—the emotions he was so desperately trying to convey to her. The first words he sang completely matched the song, but by the end Botan would understand everything he meant. _"At the mirror you fix your hair, and put your makeup on. You're insecure about the clothes to wear; I can't see nothing wrong._

" _To me, you look so beautiful when you can't make up your mind. It's half past eight, it's getting late, but it's okay…take your time._

" _Standing here, my hands in my pockets like I've done a thousand times. Thinking back, it took one breath, one word to change my life._

" _The first time I saw you, it felt like coming home, but I never told you. Now, I just want you to know…_

" _You had me from 'hello.'"_

Botan noticed the slight change of words, and she wondered why he had done that, but the next verse completely took her by surprise. It was completely different, personalized to them, his voice peaceful and soft, still. _"When you walked into that empty room, we were all alone. There was no one to kidnap our attention, and your smile just stole the show. You've been with me through everything, dancing with me slow. We've told each other everything, whispering down low."_

As Shuichi continued with the refrain, Botan couldn't help but cry and shake her head. Shuichi was wrong. They hadn't told each other everything, she had told him everything. He had been keeping secrets, and lied to her when he said work was stressing him out. How could he say they've been through everything together when he hid all of this? His next words stole her attention again, his voice breaking but still just as amazing. _"And those times you laid down beside me, I felt your heartbeat to remind me that with each time I see you I feel like I am home, and I never told you, but I just need you to know that you had me from 'hello.'_

" _From 'hello.'"_

Botan didn't know what to say, her breath hitched when his voice cracked. Even when he finished singing, he was breathing heavily like he was struggling. _"I…I know that I'm not good with words…as evident by how I changed these words, but I really do you need the truth, the truth about what you mean to me. Botan, I don't even know how to begin, but I need you to know all of it._

" _You once said that I felt like I didn't belong, but you don't know how deeply it ran. I've admitted to never feeling at home anywhere, but the first time I heard you talking to yourself, the first time you greeted me, I knew I would never be the same. From that moment, I knew I had to bide my time. I didn't want to overwhelm you. You've gone through so much, and I did not want to add pressure to you. I need you to know that you're all I ever needed._

" _I know I confused you when I showed up to your place the way I had, and I wanted to explain that to you, too. Botan, I've been trying to find the way to tell you about it, but when I was younger I got involved in underground fighting. It was stupid, immature, but I was good at it, and you know how much I hated Kazuya's stupid money. There, I was able to waste it away. I only took what I needed, and I used the rest to help my team out with psyching out the opponents. I always felt a rush fighting, but since I met you, I hadn't gone, not once. I wanted you to know that. That rush I used to have when fighting…I have that with you, with our future, and I could no longer fight knowing that I had you to come home to. You are my home."_

Botan was in shock. She had just accused Shuichi of not trusting her, of lying to her, and yet he had come with this tape holding his confession. More tears streamed down her face, and all she wanted was to see Shuichi, to apologize for not listening to him, for being too afraid to hear what he had to say. _"Unfortunately,"_ his voice continued, _"I attracted unwanted attention, and the man who wanted to fight me was threatening our future. He had seen us around town, threatened me with you, and I was too afraid to tell you because I didn't want you to worry."_ Botan's eyes widened, and she was scared. A weak chuckle reached her. _"Don't worry, though. He's gone. He wouldn't have let me leave alive. I had to…I just needed to get back to you. All I could think of was seeing you. I know it was a lot for you to take in, but I only hope you can understand. Botan, I swear to you, I'm done with that life. Had he not targeted you, I wouldn't have even fought him. Please understand. I can only hope that you love me too and that you'll be able to forgive me, but if not, just know…you were the best thing to ever happen to me. Even if you leave me, I'll never go back there, not to that life. I'll do whatever it takes to be worthy of you, and I will never push you into bed like I had again, not unless you allow me to. I love you, Botan, now and always, forever."_

The room went silent, only the turn of the tape sounding and filling the quiet room. Shuichi's message left Botan feeling so completely overwhelmed that she broke down, sobbing and crying out for Shuichi. Her mother had come home early, worried about her daughter, and found her that way next to the tape player. It was then that Botan finally told her mother everything, leaving out the part where Shuichi had been fighting in the underground ring. She was even more conflicted, now, about what she had to do.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

A week later, Shuichi had returned home from school feeling hopeless. He had hoped that Botan would have listened to the tape, but now he was certain she was done with him for good. It had occurred to him that he had scared her, and so he knew he deserved this. Time and time again, Botan had confided her fears in him, and he did not take them into consideration when he went to fight Karasu.

He had been left little choice, but he could have tried to get out of it some other way. Perhaps he could have trusted law enforcement, but who would have known where the man was lurking. Karasu could have followed him, too, and if he had gone to the police Botan could have widened up injured or worse instead of him. He would have never recovered if that had happened.

Even now, he still hadn't recovered. His mother tried to talk to him multiple times including today when he just came inside and retreated for his room, slamming to door as a warning to everyone in the house that he wanted to be alone. Something, though, was different in his room.

On his desk, a box was waiting for him.

He blinked at the box. It looked so much like the package he left for Botan, and his heart sank. She didn't listen. She returned it to him to let him know that they were truly over. It was a bitter pill to swallow. He wanted nothing more than to just throw his confession away. Nothing mattered anymore. He'd have to find a way to keep his promise to Botan even living a life without her.

A note stopped him from throwing the package away. On a piece of paper on his desk, the words "play it, side B" were written. He looked to the box and opened it, and his tape was in there, but Botan wanted him to play the opposite side.

It was the first communication he had gotten from her, so Shuichi had no intention of squandering the chance. He did as she asked, and, like what he did with his tape, a song played first, the tune Botan had been humming that day in the park, but now he actually got to hear it. It was a song he heard maybe once or twice before, "Where the Story Ends" by The Fray. He wondered what message he would get and listened intently. As the song ended, there was nothing, no sound or words from Botan, and Shuichi was about to take the song to mean the ending of their relationship.

After what felt like hours of silence, Shuichi heard the sound of the piano being played timidly, playing the same tune as the song, but he just knew. It was Botan playing the piano, and soon her voice joined it. _"Trying not to lose my head, but I've never been this scared before. Tell you what I've done instead, laid my body down on the floor, to forget all we've done, silhouettes 'til the good Lord come._

" _All I've known is distance. I get close and then I run. I kiss away the difference, I know you hate this one."_

Shuichi was trying to understand the message Botan was trying to convey. He knew there was one, hidden in her passionate playthrough. It sounded like she was trying to say that she had been trying to push him away, giving up on them while giving him a reason—that she was used to this. Botan had experienced so much emotional pain in her life with a father who abandoned her on more than one occasion before his death. It caused her to panic every time she got close to another, fearing abandonment or worse, and he had given her every reason to believe that he'd be no different.

" _Tried not to lose my own, boxing up everything I've felt. All I've ever knew of home, I was scared, scared to see my mother there, in the door, wondering how and where all the years did go."_

As Shuichi listened to her version of the refrain, he tried to piece together the words wondering what Botan meant bringing her mother into the equation. She changed the words to make it personal, so it meant something, just as like his message. And then, the refrain had an extended part, and it returned his attention, and again it made his stomach drop yet feel hopeful that the same time. _"But this is how the story ends, or have we just begun to kiss away the difference? I know you hate this one."_

So Botan was still conflicted, and maybe she hadn't completely given up on them yet. _"The violins make no sound, and I begin to feel the ground._

" _But all I've known is distance, I'm close and then I run. Please kiss away the difference. I know you hate this one._

" _But is this how the story ends, or have we just begun to kiss away the difference? I know you hate this one."_

As she finished out the piano part and silence came on the tape, and then, as he had hoped, Botan had started talking to him, and her voice was quiet and timid. _"Shuichi?"_ she called questioningly as if hoping he were listening. How could he not? He was waiting on her with baited breath. _"I don't want our story to end this way."_ Her admittance made him breathe a sigh of relief. _"I'm just scared, scared of what I'm feeling, what I'm going through, what I saw…_

" _I…I didn't even let you explain."_ Her voice broke, and it sounded like she was starting to cry. He was correct as it turned into sobs, and he wanted nothing more to be there right now holding her to assure her. He knew he had messed up, and he refused to let her take responsibility for this. _"I…I'm sorry. I d-didn't mean to start crying, I just…to hear everything you said…you could have told me. We would have figured something out. All this time you've felt this way for me, and all this time…Shuichi, I love you too, so much. I don't know what I'd do without you. You've always been patient with me, and I'm such a mess. I'm sorry—for being so scared and for running away from you._

" _I'm tired of running,"_ she admitted, and Shuichi felt his heart leap. _"I know that these past few weeks I've put a strain on us, but if you're still willing to fight for us I'll be waiting at my apartment for you. You'll probably be home early enough, so come at six and we can talk. If you don't, I'll understand. I've pushed you away too many times._

" _If I don't see you, then I guess this is goodbye. I'll miss you."_

The tape ended.

Shuichi was in shock over her last words, that she could think he'd ever leave her. He didn't care that she ran, didn't care if she didn't let him speak. He didn't even care if she still had doubts. _She loved him._ Plain and simple, she loved him, and that was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Botan had given him another chance. She wanted to work things out, to talk about everything. She actually said that _she_ was sorry? There was nothing she ever needed to apologize for, and he was going to make sure she knew that.

He didn't even bother to look at the clock. He just showed up at her place, knocking on the door. When Botan answered it, she breathed out his name in relief. It looked like she had been crying for days. She probably had been. Shuichi didn't care. He pushed her back insider her apartment, kissing her, and closing the door behind them.

* * *

They didn't get the chance to talk about anything until the next morning. In fact, as the two of them woke up in Botan's bed, the only thing they could whisper were sweet "I love you's." Shuichi pulled Botan to him, kissing her good morning while gently rubbing her bare shoulder. Botan's amethyst eyes met his emerald, and a smile lit his face. Botan grinned sheepishly and blushed not fighting him. Instead, she laid her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. "Mm," she moaned. "Do we have to get up?"

"No," Shuichi replied simply, love in his eyes. "I'd very much like to stay just like this, but we both know we have a lot to discuss." His expression became serious, and Botan's eyes widened. "I want to tell you the truth, everything about it. There's a lot I have to say that I can't, in good conscience, keep from you. One thing I need to say now, though, is that _I_ was the one who was in the wrong, not you. You're right; I should have told you. I wasn't thinking about your fear when I made my decisions, and I apologize for that."

Botan frowned, not wanting to accept that he wasn't giving her some blame, but she decided to say nothing. She knew he hated it when she did that. "Was that man really going to hurt me?" Shuichi flinched and his grip on her tightened, so she had her answer. "I'm sorry you were put in that position."

"It was my fault," he asserted. "I was the one who had gotten involved with the underground fighting. It never occurred to me that any of those fighters would be unstable. Many of the ones we faced were creepy, but not to that level, and others had actually become friends of ours. This was something we never expected."

"Who is we?" Botan questioned, and Shuichi sighed. He had hoped to be in a different position than this to tell her this part of the equation, but her eyes implored him to answer.

"Well…this goes with the 'everything' I wanted to tell you," he remarked. "Just, please try not to react too harshly. The team I fought with included me, my friend Hiei, and…Yusuke and Kuwabara."

Botan gasped and pushed herself off his chest. "W-Wha…what are you—? Huh?"

A weak smile was his reaction to her sputtering. "I had met Yusuke in school, and he was one of the few people to offer me to come over when my mother was sick and in the hospital," Shuichi explained. I met Kuwabara through him, and Hiei was a friend of mine for a long time ago. Before mother and I moved here, Kazuya was already trying to buy me off, and I didn't know how to react to that. The guys and I had rescued some other teenagers from some bullies who had ganged up on them, and we all ended up going to the station for the day. Kuwabara's sister contacted a lawyer who got us out without contacting our parents, and he was the one who introduced us to the ring.

"I'll spare you the details on all of that, but I just…I couldn't keep the fact that I knew your best friend away from you," he told her, nuzzling her forehead with his nose. "I know that may complicate things, but you need me to be honest, and so I will be. Yusuke was the one who told me where you were. I couldn't bear not knowing if you were okay or not. I didn't remember saying what I did when I was injured. I thought that me rushing into things had pushed you too far. The only reason he told me was because he knows I'm in love with you. I gave up on underground fighting long before Valentine's Day. Any free time I had went to you."

Botan was just gaping at him, and Shuichi's expression faltered. He didn't know what that look meant, and he was getting nervous. "I…" Botan whispered. "I'm shocked that Yusuke and Kuwabara are involved, too, but I guess it makes sense. Are…are you really done with it?"

"Yes," he stated firmly. "I wanted to tell you a while ago, but once I was away from it I hardly even thought about it. Like I said, you filled my life, made it worth something, much, much more than fighting ever could."

"I'm glad," Botan admitted. "All I kept thinking was that I just couldn't do this alone, not like my mother did."

"Your mother?" Shuichi asked. It reminded him of when he was listening to her song the day before. What did she mean?

"Yes, well," Botan murmured, looking away shyly. "I…Shuichi, I had been so stressed with everything and with school, but the reason I needed time away…Shuichi, I'm pregnant."

His emerald eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise. "What?"

"I'm pregnant," Botan told him again, and Shuichi's shock turned into joy as he kissed her passionately, holding her close.

* * *

Since they day they had spoken, since Shuichi had learned he would be a father, everything had changed. For one, Shuichi didn't want to leave Botan alone. School had been a terrible stressor for her, and, at times, she'd skip meals. She couldn't do that being pregnant, and she couldn't eat out all the time. He would invite her over for meals with his family, and Botan got along with his mother well. They had decided not to share the happy news with their mothers, not yet. They wanted a little bit of time for it to sink in. Botan did, however, make her first appointment, and Shuichi was at her side the whole time.

Of course, Botan had contacted Yusuke soon after Shuichi had confessed everything to her. He had no idea what he was in for when he answered. Botan made small talk at first before she dropped the bomb on him. "So, when were you going to tell me you were fighting underground?"

Yusuke had remained silent for a moment before he sighed. _"I take it Kurama…sorry, that's his fighting name…Shuichi told you?"_

"He did," Botan replied. "About _all_ of it."

" _Damn,"_ Yusuke murmured. _"How'd you take it?"_

"As well as could be expected, I guess, finding out that both my boyfriend and best friend were risking their lives in these horrible fights," Botan admonished.

" _Yeah, I know,"_ Yusuke grunted. _"Sorry I didn't tell you. We don't really fight all the time. We try not to get involved with fighters we don't know well enough from just becoming buddies with them or watching them fight. It's a guy thing."_

"Sexist," Botan scoffed. "You need to tell Keiko, Yusuke. If she finds out the way I did, it wouldn't go over well. And you need to make sure Kuwabara tells Yukina."

" _Don't worry; he's already done that,"_ Yusuke assured her. _"Her brother is involved too, after all, and she knew about that. Keiko, though, I'm going to tell her soon. There are just a couple more fights the three of us want to do before we call it quits. Just some teams of a couple of buddies we made there is all, so nothing like…"_

"Okay," Botan whispered. "Just…be careful, Yusuke. You better call me as soon as you get done with a fight. I'm going to worry if you don't tell me about it, now."

" _I'd expect nothing less,"_ Yusuke responded. _"So, I guess you made up with Shuichi, so tell me, what's up with you?"_

Botan thought about telling Yusuke about the baby. Now that she knew he knew Shuichi, it was only fair. She wanted to wait to tell her mother. The woman would be overly excited, and Botan wanted to adjust to the idea first. "I have some news," she revealed. "I'm pregnant."

" _WHAT?"_

She cringed at his volume, but then laughed. "Yes, but I'm not telling people yet. I want to wait to tell mom."

" _What the hell for? Your mother would be over the moon!"_

"Exactly, and I need some time to adjust to all of this, first," she explained. "So, please don't say anything yet."

" _Yeah, sure thing,"_ he agreed. _"Oh my God, you and Shuichi!"_ He laughed jovially. _"I can't believe he's going to be a father and I'm going to be his kid's uncle!"_

"Yes, well, it is pretty exciting," Botan murmured happily, picturing what hers and Shuichi's life would be like in just a little under a year. "I'm glad I can talk about it with someone. I really wanted to share the news with you."

" _I'm honored, Botan, and I'm here any time you need to talk."_

"I know," she answered. "Now, I need to go study for an exam I have soon. I've been so exhausted lately that I haven't been able to stay up as late as I normally do to study."

" _That's probably for the best,"_ Yusuke pondered. _"I'll let you go then. Talk to you soon."_

"Alright," she replied. "Love you, Yusuke."

" _You too, Bo. Tell Shuichi I said congrats."_

Botan hung up her phone and looked around at all her notebooks like she had a mountain to climb. Shuichi came in moments later with groceries and the night's dinner. He was being so wonderful, and, ever since he found out about the baby, either she had been staying at his house or he had been staying at her apartment. Mostly, they chose the latter for privacy. Shiori would definitely notice her getting sick and feeling queasy all the time. Either way, they had become inseparable.

Everything was as it should be.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Man, I am just speed posting here. That's actually pretty good. I was hoping to finish this story this month, and it might actually be possible despite the huge gap I had with block a couple chapters back. Anyway, after this chapter, there's only three more to be written. Let's see if I can get them finished in the next two days. Lol! I don't know if that's a realistic goal, but let's see!

Onward!

* * *

It had been one, glorious month since Botan and Shuichi had gotten through such difficult times. Though it had been a crazy, whirlwind month, they both had felt completely happy. Botan was starting to struggle with insomnia because of her classes. Shuichi couldn't even count the numbers of times he'd wake up to find her missing from bed, in the study room in the middle of the night. He had to force her to come back to bed, but she wouldn't sleep. She was too alert and shaky. Thankfully, though, there was just one more month of school. Then she would be able to focus on herself and rest. Of course, the exams had her so stressed out, and that wasn't good for either her or the baby.

Shuichi tried to make sure that Botan took breaks, but when he convinced her to take them she'd be so anxious, needing to get back to her materials. He eventually opted to stay with her at her apartment, making sure was resting and eating healthy. He handled the shopping, too, so that Botan didn't have to stress about what foods to get herself or the increased cost of the healthy food. At least Kazuya's money was being put to better use, taking care of the woman he loved and their child.

At times, Botan still felt awful about him spending money on her, but, since she learned about the underground fighting and how he used the money, she didn't fight him as often. He'd remind her that it was better to nurture her and their child then to trick fighters out of money. She agreed with that. Because of this, Shuichi finally bought her that red rose pendent he had seen on Valentine's Day. Botan couldn't believe he had still remembered he had seen it. She definitely remembered her reaction to it.

In a couple more weeks, they'd finally be able to hear the heartbeat of their baby, and they were becoming more and more excited. They knew it was time to finally tell their mothers what was going on. Shiori was starting to notice that her son was fighting Kazuya more on working and she had no idea why. Likewise, Botan's mother had noticed that she was trying to hide something. If Botan had any thoughts that she was like her father, she didn't now because she couldn't even keep one major secret well let alone snow a whole town into believing she was a different person.

* * *

So, Botan had gone to visit her mother for the day, and the two went to have lunch. "So, you and Shuichi have worked things out, then?" the woman asked. Botan smiled and nodded, beaming with joy. "That's wonderful news. Now, why don't you tell me what you've been trying to hide?"

"Well, about that," Botan murmured. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I needed time to just process this myself. Shuichi and Yusuke know, but I want you to know too. Mama, I'm pregnant."

Her mother looked stunned, but her face soon gave way to joy. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'm going to be a gramma!"

Botan chuckled and shook her head. "Yes, yes you are. Shuichi is telling his mother today. We're really excited, but I've been so stressed out with school."

"Do you need me to come help out until finals?"

"You mean finals a month away?" she countered. "You have to work, mama, but don't worry. Shuichi has been staying with me and taking care of me. Despite my crazy study habits, he's been trying to keep me on a schedule for sleeping and stuff. I kind of protest. I've been having trouble sleeping and all."

"I'm glad he's looking out for you," her mother responded. "He sounds like a good guy. If you trust him, then so do I."

Her words made Botan smile. She really did trust Shuichi. She never thought she'd ever find someone that she could learn to trust. He had been open with her, never shooting down any of her questions about his past in the fighting ring. The way he spoke about it, she knew he was finished for good. She trusted him not to go back, and even Yusuke had said it had been better being a three man team. Some of the newer four men teams had some crazy competitors. Of course, there was one team they wanted to fight but couldn't if Shuichi wasn't present.

They had made some buddies, Jin and Touya, and their team was a four man team. Yusuke was disappointed because they wouldn't be able to actually fight them, and they would not drop either Risho or Gama. They had already dropped one man a while back making them a four man team. The day they'd be fighting was coming up in two weeks.

Yusuke had asked Shuichi if he would fight, but her boyfriend refused to give an answer and instead presented the scenario to her. It was the last team the guys actually wanted to fight, and even if they were tough opponents, two of them were friends so they wouldn't allow anyone on their team to truly hurt them. Botan was still leery on it, but she finally relented. In fact, she managed to give him incentive not to get too hurt and to make it home to her and their child.

For the day after the fight, Botan had scheduled her appointment.

That meant he wouldn't be able to hear the baby's heartbeat if he let himself get hurt, because then he'd need to rest and she would go alone. He had called Yusuke back to agree, but only if he wasn't fighting someone who could do serious damage. Yusuke agreed he could fight Gama since he seemed to be the weakest of the group.

"I trust him," Botan admitted. "He's very open and honest with me. I'm still getting used to it, but I know that everything is okay."

Her mother smiled at her, and their food came. Botan was feeling very hungry, and good Chinese food was welcome. She only hoped Shuichi's day was going as well as hers. She was certain Shiori would be just as thrilled as her mother.

* * *

"I'm so glad you decided to stop by, Shuichi," Shiori said, her voice content, as she washed the dishes. His silence alerted her, though, and she turned to see her son wearing a serious expression while looking quite perplexed. "Is everything all right? You haven't been home for a while."

His expression softened. "I'm fine, mother," he assured her. "I know Kazuya has probably told you that I have been less active with the company as of late."

"He did tell me," Shiori said, setting a wet dish in drain board before going to sit at the table with her son. "He's been very worried about you. He said you've been combative?"

"I have been," Shuichi confessed, sighing. "Mother, I never wanted to get this involved with Kazuya's company. I appreciate the opportunity he gave me, but I was being run into the ground. For the longest time I couldn't even focus on my work at school let alone see Botan."

Shiori looked surprised. "Why didn't you tell us? I'm certain Kazuya would have gone easier on you."

Shuichi shook his head. "That isn't the point, mother. I never wanted to be a part of his world. I just wanted to go to school and live my life as simply as possible. It was bad enough he was giving me an allowance, but then to add a salary on top of that…"

"I know adjustment has been hard for you," Shiori offered. "When you stopped talking to me about it, I assumed you were handling it all well. I'm sorry."

"I didn't want to add pressure on you," Shuichi reluctantly admitted, frowning. "I was worried that Kazuya would pressure you to convince me, or that by me not helping your relationship would become strained since he already works so much. Lately, things have changed, and my responsibilities lie elsewhere, with Botan. Mother, she's pregnant."

Shiori's eyes widened, and everything Shuichi said made so much sense to her. For some reason, her son always felt responsible for her health, though she had no idea why. It made sense that he would want to keep the peace so that she had no stress of any kind. He had been spending more and more time with Botan, staying over her house, and now she knew why. He was probably putting all of his energy into taking care of her so that they would have a healthy baby. Her son was always so dedicated and loving.

With school and spending all of his time with Botan, Shiori could understand why her son did not want to continue assisting with the company. It would be too much of a strain on him and especially on Botan. She didn't know too much about the girl, only meeting her a handful of times, but she knew enough. She was shy and timid, like Shiori once was. She was young and had a difficult past. Her eyes told that. She was kind and compassionate, always asking to help when she was over for dinner, and once she felt secure enough she was talkative and friendly. She, at times, spoke with so much wisdom.

She had known her son was in love for a while. His eyes always softened or lit when Botan spoke or came into a room. Shiori had never seen her son so happy and at ease as when Botan was around. The young woman had touched his heart, gotten through to him in ways she never could, and brought him so much joy. It didn't surprise her that Botan was pregnant, even though her son and the woman hadn't been dating long. The two just fit together.

A soft smile touched her lips, and she walked over to her son and pulled him into a hug. "I'm very happy for you, Shuichi," she told him, her voice sincere. "You and Botan both. How long?"

"About two months," Shuichi told her, his cheeks turning red.

"I bet you're really excited," she stated, taking her seat once again. "How long have you known?"

"One month…"

"I won't bombard you with any more questions," she teased. "I'm just very happy that you've found someone you want to have a life with. I was always worried about you. You've been very closed off for so long."

Shuichi's expression softened. "I know. Anyway…please tell Kazuya that I will not be assisting him the way I have. He usually doesn't like taking no for an answer. I'm willing to assist him with little things like before, but someone would have to bring the work to Botan's. I refuse to take time away from her. She's already so overwhelmed from school, exams, and the lack of sleep, but she also gets sick from time to time and it takes a lot to get her to eat."

"You're a very good man, Shuichi," Shiori told him, beaming brightly. "Just like your father." A pang struck Shuichi's heart. That was the first time his mother had mentioned his father in years. To be honest, he didn't think she even still thought about the man. "He would be so proud of who you've become."

Shuichi didn't know what to say. He felt like he had just been given the biggest compliment in the world. Though he barely had memories of the man, Shuichi had managed to pick something up from his few short years of being with the man. It was bred into him. He had made some mistakes along the way, but he had finally achieved what he always wanted, to be like his father, ironically the opposite of what Botan wanted. He could set the example for her and their child where Botan's father had failed. "Thank you," he said simply, his eyes lighter than they had been when he first arrived.

* * *

Shuichi had opted to stay a bit longer, him and his mother actually talking about his father. The woman reminisced about when they found out about Shuichi and how his father had taken her health so seriously. The redhead liked listening to the parallels between him and his father. He knew he had taken on the overprotective role with Botan, but he didn't mind and Botan didn't seem to mind the hovering either, probably because it was one of the first times she was receiving constant, positive, male attention.

He returned home to find Botan asleep on the couch, her textbook lying on her belly while she was surrounded by a sea of flashcards. Shuichi sighed and picked up the book, placing a blank card between the pages as a bookmark. He looked over to the coffee table and smiled that the lavender reed diffuser he bought her was already out, and probably the reason she was passed out on the couch. The scent was supposed to help with sleep, and Botan was incredibly exhausted. She needed the rest.

Placing a blanket over the woman caused her to shift slightly. Her eyes peeked open, and she saw her boyfriend standing over her. "Shuichi?"

"Yes, Botan," he warmly replied. "Is there something you need?" She nodded. "What is it?"

"You," she whispered, blushing slightly, and Shuichi's eyes widened. "You can put the cards on the table. I'll study later."

Shuichi grinned and started picking up the cards one by one. He gathered them all and then sat on the couch, lying down slightly beside Botan. She sat up for a minute to adjust their positions so that he could hold her to him. Shuichi's grip on her was loose enough for her to be comfortable, but he still held her tightly against his form. Her hand rested against his chest, and she traced circles over his shirt.

"How did your day go?" he asked her, his voice quiet so as not to fully wake her. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep.

"Good," she sighed, though it sounded more like a soft yawn. "Mom is happy for us, and incredibly excited to be a grandmother. I'm still processing."

"I know," Shuichi told her. "My mother is happy for us as well, and she is going to talk to Kazuya about it so that maybe he'll just have minimal work sent here. I don't want to be pulled away from you."

Botan's lips curled into a smile. "I am a big girl, Shuichi, and you don't have to treat me like I'm glass, but I know the feeling. I feel like it's a little selfish, but I just want us to focus on this."

"It's not selfish," he told her. "I want us to focus on the pregnancy and the baby, too. To be honest, I think this is the happiest we've both been despite the outside stressors."

"Agreed," Botan whispered, nuzzling against him. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Pregnant lady's choice," he returned, and Botan chuckled. "Your taste is what we must cater to, now. I don't want to make anything that would make you feel sick."

"I know that I need to eat healthy and all, but is there any way I can be bad, just tonight?"

Shuichi smirked. "Certainly."

"I want burgers, and maybe some fries and ketchup," she admitted. "Then some ice cream. I've had a bad craving for ice cream."

"Sounds like the baby is getting tired of the vegetables," he teased, gently caressing her belly. "You want your mother to feed you junk, don't you."

Botan giggled sleepily. "Shuichi," she whined, "you're tickling me."

"My apologies," he whispered. "Rest now. We'll go to eat when you wake."

"Okay," Botan agreed. "I love you, Shuichi."

"I love you, too, Botan, very much."

A sleepy smile appeared on his girlfriend's face.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

The day of the fight finally came, and Shuichi would have rather been back with Botan. He knew she wasn't thrilled, and she made it clear in the way she teased him before he left. Oh, how he wanted to stay with her to finish what she started, but he had made this commitment. Botan had seen him out, reminding him that she'd be waiting for him and begged him to be careful. He made her promise to go out and do something so that she would be distracted for part of the time he was away. So Botan listened, deciding to go to a movie, a very funny one at that. Afterwards, she had gotten something to eat and then headed home.

On her way back to the apartment, Botan couldn't help but admire the calm night. It was warmer out now, but still quite brisk. She had her window down to let the wind splash over her face.

At her apartment, she searched her bag for her key and unlocked her door. Out of nowhere, though, she felt someone behind her and a knife was being held to her throat. "Be a good girl and go inside, and don't make any sudden moves or call for help," a dark voice whispered in her ear. She froze when she felt his lips on her ear. "I can slit your throat before you ever make a sound."

Botan had no idea who this man was or why he was attacking her, but she wasn't going to risk hers and her baby's life. That meant, unfortunately, that she had to let him inside with her. She did as the man asked, and he chuckled as she tried to put distance between them. When she finally got a good look at him, Botan saw a crazed, blonde man. He was tall and lean and he was leering at her with wild eyes and a sickening grin. "Now, girl, we're going to play a game."

A shiver went up Botan's spine, and she knew she was in deep trouble.

* * *

The four guys had gotten to the ring and ordered a meal before any of the fights began. They would have quite a long time until their fight, and they weren't exactly worried. Even their friends' team was having dinner and a couple of drinks. This would probably be their most laidback fight yet.

As the night went on and the time came for them to fight, Kurama and Gama had gone first as requested by the redhead. He would stay for the other fights, but at least he'd be able to tell Botan right away that he was safe.

It was during Hiei's fight with Touya that the Toguro team came up to them. "You should withdraw," the younger of the Toguro Brothers said directly to Kurama.

Kurama's eyes narrowed at the man. "My fight is over. Is there a reason you're here other than to get me to leave? Do you want to fight our team that badly?"

"We're not _that_ desperate," the elder brother sneered, his voice grating on their eardrums. "You should listen to what we have to say. We know of your fight with Karasu." Kuwabara and Yusuke looked to Shuichi, their eyes wide with worry. Their friend looked like he was getting ready to defend himself. "Relax. We don't care that you fought with him. We're here to give you a warning."

"A warning about what?" Yusuke asked cautiously. He knew Shuichi had killed the guy, so what could they be there for?

"Karasu wasn't dead when you left him," the younger brother announced, and Shuichi could _feel_ his blood run cold.

The elder Toguro laughed in amusement. "Yes, and tonight, he's on the prowl for a new victim." His eyes bore into Shuichi's, the redhead immediately understanding.

He was running out of there just as Hiei's fight had ended.

* * *

Botan was shaking as she felt the madman's hands on her. He had forced her into the kitchen, knife still on her, and forced her to bring one of her chairs out into the living room. He pulled rope seemingly out of nowhere and tied her to the chair uncomfortably tight. The lights were still off in the apartment, which was not helping Botan's fear of the dark. This was why the darkness always frightened her. You never knew what would come out of there or if you'd be attacked. The fear of the unknown gripped her heart. It was making her nauseous.

"There," his said sinisterly. "Now we're all set."

"Wha…" Botan tried to speak. The man's eyes were instantly on hers, unamused. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"

A gleam flashed in her captor's eyes, his expression full of glee as he laughed. "From you? Nothing." His hand was on her neck, gently tracing her jugular before putting pressure on it and making her cry out. "From Kurama, everything. His skills as a fighter had been what initially attracted me too him. Someone like you probably wouldn't appreciate it the way I do. You probably didn't even know he was involved in such glorious battles."

Botan didn't answer. All she could do was helplessly listen. This man…he had to be the one Kurama thought he killed. She didn't know what he planned to do to her, but her mind was flashing with the worst images she was capable of picturing. "It was so sickening to watch as you domesticated him," the man replied. "Kurama was my greatest rival, and yet you've tamed him. Had I not threatened you, he wouldn't have even given me the time of day. The day we fought, it couldn't just be our long awaited conflict. I had to bring you into it. It's a poisonous spell you have him under, but it won't last much longer."

Karasu looked down at Botan and smirked. The girl looked so horrified. She probably had lived a life free of physical pain and abuse, a life that he never experienced. That meant she had never seen true beauty. "I've been wanting to get you alone for some time now," he told her. Her head turned to regard him, her mouth still open and eyes still glistening with fear. "He hasn't left your side since the time I saw you two coming out of that doctor's office." Botan flinched. "Having a child is so nauseatingly mundane. You probably see the beauty in life, but I only see the beauty of death." Botan could not say the same, not after losing her father. That pain stayed with her, and she had had to claw her way out of a hole. Shuichi had helped her to finally climb out.

The knife blade was then pressed to her abdomen, Botan gasping out in fear. "I would love nothing more than to take the child away from you both." He slid the knife up, placing the tip below her chest. "How do you think your lover would react to seeing you gutted right in this spot?"

"Please, don't," Botan begged, tears starting to fall.

Her captor chuckled viciously. "Don't worry, foolish girl. I don't intend to kill you, not yet." He walked behind her, keeping the knife aimed at her stomach while placing his other hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it hard, the pain unbearable for Botan causing a straggled sob to escape her. "I intend to end your life in front of Kurama so I can see the life leave his eyes as it leaves your body." Botan whimpered as the madman moved to nuzzle her neck. "I must admit that I can see why Kurama would be drawn to someone like you." He started to caress her body making Botan feel incredibly ill. "You are very pretty and so full of life. Similarly, I love the life in Kurama's eyes, and when I love something I like to take it away."

Out of nowhere, the sadistic man cut open Botan's top, and she yelped in both shock and fear. The look in this man's eyes was more disturbed that it had been the entire night. Botan was so frightened, terrified of what he might do. He had exposed her, the streetlight bouncing off her white bra. Karasu grinned. In his mind he was associating the cloth with purity and innocence, and he planned to take it away. He took the knife, slicing above her chest to watch the blood stain the garment red. Botan gasped out in pain, but her captor only laughed. "That was nothing," he hissed at her, pleased. "This," he added, gripping where he had cut her and digging into the cut making her scream more, "is merely a flesh wound."

"No, stop," she cried. "Please, you…you don't have to do this."

He continued to watch her blood stain her bra and grinned up at her. "Red," he whispered. "The color of temptation."

"You're insane," Botan whimpered quietly, but the madman didn't care. She knew he planned to destroy her in ways she couldn't fathom.

The door slammed open before anything else could happen, and Shuichi was standing there, his expression horrified and full of disgust and anger. "Karasu," he growled. "Get away from her."

The man, Karasu, stood up, snickering cruelly. "Ah, and the great Kurama has finally joined us. I was keeping your little harlot company while we waited for news on your _last_ fight."

Shuichi's eyes narrowed. "That's what this is all about?"

"That's always been what this is about," Karasu remarked. "You truly are perfection, and yet you'd waste it to play house with this pampered woman who hasn't ever suffered the way we have."

"What in heaven's name are you talking about?" Shuichi questioned, glaring heatedly at the psychopath.

"People like us, Kurama, are the ones who actually want to know pain, to experience death," he explained, and Shuichi looked incredibly confused, his eyes meeting Botan's. "I always knew from the first time I saw you fight. You were desperate to feel something, and pain filled that voice. You just never had a worthy opponent to free you in the sweet beauty of death."

"You're delusional," Shuichi countered, making his opponent frown. "There is nothing I need or want from you. I defeated you once, and I'll defeat you again."

"You better do it quickly," Karasu snapped. His anger yielded to delight. "I still have to finish with your girlfriend and your unborn burden. You be free from it all soon."

"Bastard!" Shuichi shouted, launching himself at Karasu. He had no intent of letting the villain harm his love. He had already gone too far.

The apartment living room became the battlefield, and Shuichi made sure to get Karasu away from Botan. She was still tied to the chair, calling out for him each time the demon tried to strike him. Karasu's deranged eyes were practically glowing, and Shuichi couldn't help but mentally admit that he was terrified, not of losing his life but of Botan getting caught in the crossfire any more than she already had been.

This time in their fight, Karasu wasn't fighting with a weapon. He had tied the knife to his side, a foolish move on Karasu's part. It seemed the fighter was confident in his skills, but blonde hair or black, he was still the same Karasu. His confidence couldn't hide that he was nothing but an unstable cad. He wouldn't win. He _couldn't_ win.

And somehow, while they exchanged a series of blows, Shuichi had taken hold of the knife. At first, Karasu hadn't noticed, but when the gleam of the light had reflected, he tried to get the weapon away from Shuichi. The redhead did not lose his grip on the weapon and managed to outclass his opponent, plunging the knife into the man's heart. Karasu howled in agony, grabbing Shuichi's hand to get the knife out, but Shuichi jammed it in deeper, closing his eyes as he did so. Karasu fell to the ground, gasping and choking on his own blood. He glared up at the redhead with heated eyes, the threatening light leaving them.

"Shuichi," he heard Botan sob, and his attention turned back to the woman. Karasu could no longer bother them.

Shuichi knelt down in front of her, quickly making work on the ropes, untying them. Botan was starting to become hysterical, and Shuichi became more frantic and desperate to free her. Once her wrists were untied, she practically jumped into his arms and buried herself in him, weeping. Shuichi, too, could not contain his emotions. His fear, which he had ignored in order to protect the woman, finally flowed through him. As soon as the first tear fell, he was finished and joined Botan as they both cried out in relief, Shuichi whispering words of comfort and reassurance in her ear as she shook in his arms.

* * *

It wasn't long until the police showed up, no doubt having been called by Yusuke. He knew that his friends would have caught up, but he assumed that the culprit's other team members had kept them busy. The officers took one look at the scene and could gather what had happened. A madman they had been trying to catch for years had attacked a young woman, and her boyfriend had slain the man in self-defense. One of the men tried to assist Shuichi and Botan, but the second they tried to help up the woman, she fought and clawed to stay with the redhead. Shuichi tried to convince her that they needed to get her to a doctor, that she had been hurt, but she was in complete hysterics, and Shuichi did not want to let go of her like that. She would only panic more. He looked up to the officer helplessly.

"Sir, I know this is a lot, but we need to take your girlfriend to the hospital, and we need you down at the station to give a statement on how you bested a serial killer."

"Come again?" Shuichi questioned, his heart thumping against his chest. "You mean Karasu was a…"

"So you _know_ this man?" another officer stated.

Suspicion was going through the room. "I can explain."

Attention turned to the apartment doorway, and Sakyo was standing there lighting a cigarette. "Mister Sakyo?" an officer called, startling Shuichi. "What are you doing here, sir? I thought you were still with the director finalizing your donation." Shuichi's brows furrowed in confusion. He was tense, especially when Sakyo grinned at him and blew out a puff of smoke.

"We finished a while ago," Sakyo explained, "and then I was called by a former associate. You see, I hired a team of bodyguards, and the man lying dead was a part of the team. Once I had started to sense something wrong with the group I had hired, we parted ways. The redhead is the _stepson_ of an old business partner, and he had met Karasu that way. It seems Karasu had become a bit obsessed with Shuichi and his girlfriend. I apologize for any trauma either you or your lady friend have suffered."

"Forgive me if I don't accept," Shuichi murmured quietly, hugging Botan closer to him. "Please, let me talk to her for a moment, privately."

The officers agreed, especially when they noticed that the poor woman's shirt had been sliced open. She would probably be scarred for a long time, and the officers would not be able to pry her away from the young man. "You have ten minutes, and then you have to leave. This is a crime scene."

Shuichi nodded, and the officers and Sakyo left him and Botan alone. He called to her, softly, but Botan was still sobbing against his chest and shaking, her wails tearing him up inside. His past had caused this, and he didn't know how to fix this. "Hey, Botan," he whispered lovingly in her ear, though his own voice cracked and was a bit shaky. "We need to leave. The officers need to do their job. We should get you cleaned up and dressed, and then we'll pack up all of our books, some clothes, and everything you deem important. We'll stay with my family until the end of the semester, and then…we'll leave. We'll go somewhere else, away from here." Botan still hadn't responded. She was still clutching onto him tightly, trying to dry her tears using his shirt. "Come on, Botan. Let's get out of here."

"N-N…" she tried to say. "I-I don't want t-to let g-go!"

"It's alright," he assured her, moving to stand them up. Botan seemed to respond, as long as she was still holding onto him. "I promise, I'll take care of you."

"I-I know," she whimpered. "S-Sorry."

"There is nothing you have to apologize for," he repeated for yet another time in the course of their relationship. "It's over now. He's gone. You're safe. And I will never be put in this position again. I promise."

Botan choked out a weak laugh. Oh she definitely believed that. All of this was because Shuichi had decided to give up that life, a life he hated. "I…I'm scared. I don't want them to…"

"I'm not leaving you," he comforted. "Sakyo's story helps, though I have no idea how he knew how to find us."

"I don't care," Botan whined. "I…I just…I want to leave."

"We will," Shuichi assured her. "When the semester is over, you won't even need to come back here. The guys and I will handle moving your furniture. We'll go somewhere far from the city." Botan sniffled a little bit. "Botan?"

"I don't want to be too far from our families…"

"We won't be," Shuichi offered. "We'll find a place, maybe by the water, with a big backyard where our child will grow up safe and happy."

"That sounds nice," Botan finally sighed, the overwhelming emotions making her drowsy.

Shuichi nodded and set her down on her bed. She watched him pick out comfortable clothes for her before he went to get the first aid kit to clean her wound. After he patched her up, he helped her remove the bra, sticky with blood, and dressed her. The two collected all of her important belongings and sentimental objects in her suitcase with plenty of clothes that she'd need for a week. If she needed anything else, Shuichi would make sure she had it. As they returned downstairs with the suitcase and their backpacks containing their books and Botan's laptop, the officers helped them carry everything to Shuichi's car. The officers, of course, took Shuichi's and Botan's statements, the two matching Sakyo's but with slight differences. One of the men told Shuichi that he would escort him to the hospital so that Botan could get looked at and they could make sure the baby was okay.

As it turned out, despite the hell that had just ensued at the apartment, that night was the first night that they had ever heard their baby's heartbeat. The little life had outshone all of the darkness the two had experienced, and they were happy, unbelievably so. Soon enough, the night would be nothing but a bad memory. Their future was brighter.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

* * *

Time had passed, and spring had finally come. The sun was out on most days, and Botan and Shuichi managed to enjoy it. Everything that happened weeks before was just a bad dream, or so they tried to tell themselves.

Since the day they were trying to forget, Shuichi and Botan had lived with his mother, stepfather, and stepbrother. Thanks to the news, everyone had known about what happened. Botan's mother had called her in a panic, and Botan was forced to convey to her mother what happened using Sakyo's lie to protect Shuichi. She did not want the father of her child getting into trouble for his illegal fighting. They had suffered enough with the madman.

Kazuya had been shocked by Sakyo's story. The man had actually called Kazuya the night of the attack saying that his former "bodyguards" had warned him that their last man had gone after Shuichi and his girlfriend. His stepfather had given the man Botan's address explaining how he had shown up. Yusuke really had called the police, though, but then had gotten dragged into the ring by Jin. He had tried to beg his buddy to fight him another time, but Jin had immediately charged him in his excitement. Needless to say, the retirement match had come to completion, the Spirit Detective Team on top, and now everyone was done. No one wanted to risk making an enemy like Shuichi had made for fear that their loved ones would be hurt. Yusuke had finally told Keiko about it and all that had happened, and his girlfriend was just relieved that he was home and safe and that Botan and Shuichi were okay, or as okay as they were going to be.

Their focus became the baby. Sure they had school, but suddenly the stress of school couldn't compare to what they felt. Shuichi had to double-check the doors and windows every night once everyone was ready for bed. He had become slightly paranoid when he and Botan were out, as if the ghost of Karasu would attack them. Thankfully, though, the officers had declared him dead. It turned out that they had received an anonymous tip from a deep-voiced man revealing the amount of murders he had committed, where the bodies were held, and his aliases. Shuichi couldn't believe that someone like that had held such fascination with him, but worse…he hated that Karasu had been slightly right.

He assumed, from the way the man spoke, that he had been abused, found a way to turn that terrible pain into morbid fascination and enchantment. When he had said "people like them," Shuichi had been disgusted. He and Karasu came from different worlds, and Shuichi had never been abused. He had only felt disconnected with life. Where he said that Botan hadn't been abused, maybe she hadn't been physically, but she had nearly been destroyed emotionally, and Karasu did not help with that. All of that bothered Shuichi, but what had gotten to him the most was when Karasu had said he had been fighting to feel pain. Part of him was right. In the beginning, yes, fighting had provided a rush, but only because Shuichi had been so depressed and detached that he felt nothing. The pain let him know that he was still alive, and so he had let himself get hurt much more. Perhaps that was the look that had attracted Karasu. When he mentioned all of this to Botan, she had reminded him that it was in the past and it wasn't his fault that some "sick freak" had picked up on the depression. It was time to focus on happy things.

Like, graduation for one.

Finals had come and gone. Of course, Botan was stressed for the exams, but she managed to get through them and pass all of her classes. Both she and Shuichi would be attending graduation, receiving their masters, and they planned to move soon after.

They had found the perfect place in a very family friendly neighborhood. There was a community lake where families could go fishing, homes with very large, gated yards, and it was near an excellent school district. It was in the suburban area outside of the city, only about an hour to an hour and a half travel for both Shuichi's family and Botan's mother and Yusuke. Botan's stepmother and half-brother were already making plans to fly in and come see the place once the couple was settled in. They had yet to learn that Botan was pregnant, but they would find out at graduation.

Botan looked in the mirror, frowning. She was now showing, and any dress she wore could not conceal her baby bump. Even with her robe on, she still felt she looked horrible, but Shuichi had entered his room and saw her glaring at herself. He hugged her from behind, holding her close while rubbing her stomach lovingly telling her how she had never looked more beautiful. She told him he was full of it, but he simply countered saying that she was carrying his child and, since both of them were beautiful, Botan's beauty had doubled. The remark had made her laugh and distracted her from her looks. Shuichi just had this way of making her feel wonderful.

They had arrived at the ceremony early to meet up with their families. Botan's grandparents had come as well as her cousin, her stepmother and brother, and Yusuke. It was the first time Shuichi was meeting her entire family, and their eyes were all drawn to her belly. It came as a shock to them, but Botan continued to be happy, and her younger brother became excited that he would be an uncle.

There were a few judgmental stares, but it wasn't like Botan had spoken to many people of her family during the semester. She had been stressed. Those gazes shifted once they saw how Shuichi was with Botan. Anyone could see that the two were truly in love and full of joy.

During the ceremony, Shuichi and Botan stayed together even then. They were practically in the same fields, biology and botany, so they were able to sit in the same general location. It worked for them because Shuichi had hardly left Botan's side and vice versa over the past month and a half. No one could blame them for that. They had gone through a terrible ordeal.

The ceremony dragged on, and the speakers were talking about all the problems in the world and society, and Shuichi and Botan ignored all that. They had already had their fair share of problems, and none were because of prejudice towards women as one of the speakers kept badgering. Why were they talking about this at a graduation? Botan didn't want her brother hearing about past tragedies and brutalizing of women. He was still recovering from their father's death the year before. It was not what he needed.

It couldn't end quickly enough. Once Botan and Shuichi received their degrees, they had to leave, not returning to their seats. The talks had gone on for hours, and Botan's stepmother and brother had to make their flight back. Her stepmother could only get off for the day, but it made Botan the happiest she had ever been. For the first time in her life, her brother got to see her graduate. Her stepmother had done the one thing her father never had. She had moved mountains to get them there, to be there for one of her major life events. When her stepmother took a picture of her and her brother, she told Botan she was glowing. The woman believed her. She had her brother, her baby, her lover, her family, and her best friend all there for her. Nothing would ruin the day for her.

* * *

After Botan's family took her and Shuichi out to dinner, the two and Yusuke met up at her apartment. It had been cleaned up and locked up for quite some time. A few pieces of furniture had been broken and the couch had had Karasu's blood in the corner. Yusuke and Shuichi had seen it when the officers allowed them back in, and they had those objects removed.

The three began packing up everything, placing the dishes and silverware in their boxes, putting all the kitchen stuff in Rubbermaid containers, packed up all of her loose items, clothes, and toiletries, and filled their cars with everything they could. The furniture and boxes they couldn't bring would be picked up by the movers. To be honest, the two already had the majority of the furniture in their new home. They had purchased the home a few weeks earlier, and they had been working on the interior for a bit as well.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Botan questioned her friend. "You could stay the night. We did furnish one of the guest rooms already."

"I'm good," Yusuke assured her. "Besides, gotta get back to Keiko. We have a date tonight."

"Tonight, huh?" Shuichi asked. "So I take it no one has been receiving any calls."

"Nada," their friend answered. "It looks like the people who manage the ring are respecting our wishes. The news of what happened with Karasu spread like wildfire there, and Jin tells me they actually had been putting in better safety rules and now have a screening process."

"That's a relief," Botan stated. Sure, she didn't like the underground fighting, but no one else who participated needed to go through what she and Shuichi had. "I guess this is goodbye for now. You and the others will have to come over sometime."

"Everyone would love to," Yusuke agreed, "although, I might have to bribe Hiei."

"Just tell him Yukina and Kuwabara are coming as a couple, and he'll come," Shuichi joked. The three of them laughed, and then Shuichi looked to Botan. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I am."

They said their goodbyes and each got into their cars, the two stopping off at Shiori's for she wanted to say goodbye and give them some things for the baby, plus Shuichi did have a few things he wanted to pack up and bring with them. After being convinced to stay for yet another meal, the couple headed out, driving away from the town, moving to their brand new place. This would be the place where they could start over, raise a family. But it wasn't truly goodbye for their family and friends would visit soon.

It was a new chapter for them both, a happy ending and a new beginning.


	20. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

And finally, we've reached the end. It came both slowly and quickly. Obviously, it took almost two years to work on this with a combination of life and block, so it that case it took a really long time, but as of this month the whole story got planned one night, and so I decided to try to complete it this month, just to take off a little bit of pressure (I have _so many_ in-progress stories). I hope those reading have enjoyed the story. I know that some of you have enjoyed from the reviews I've gotten, but I know that there were quite a bit of people reading, following, and adding the story to favorites, and I appreciate that as I see all of that as encouragement and support. So, even though I raced to work on this during the month, I really like how the story turned out, and I'm happy to give it the ending it deserved.

So, onward!

* * *

Months had passed since graduation. The summer had gone by incredibly quickly, and Botan and Shuichi had enjoyed their summer together, going on a couple of trips and then spending time at home relaxing. For some reason, Kazuya was still siphoning money to them, but Shuichi had learned to look at it differently. Even if his stepfather was trying to buy him, the money was put to good use. The house was fully paid off, and Shuichi and Botan were saving for their daughter's college fund and to give her the best experiences.

Yes, a daughter.

The summer passed by, as did the fall, and on a cold day in December they were blessed with the warmest little child in the world. Their daughter, Kasumi, was born healthy with an excellent pair of lungs. The second she was placed in their arms, the proud parents were in love. Her turquoise eyes had blinked open before her head leaned against Botan's chest. Shuichi remembered how it felt, to be sitting with his wife holding their sleeping, violet-haired daughter, Botan crying in her overly emotional happiness. They had never experienced such peace as in that moment.

That wasn't a lie. Months before had been chaotic. Shuichi had known that Botan loved the fall, so he had proposed to her on one of their trips during the summer. It had been at a botanical garden, near the water. He had brought them a picnic. It was earlier on in Botan's pregnancy for she could still manage to get down to the ground. He knew it was cheesy, but Botan deserved all of the cheesy, romantic moments. He had bought a flavored sparkling water, treating it like champagne, and he placed the ring in the glass. Botan had noticed right away, without drinking. She had looked to him with her doe-eyed expression, and Shuichi had proposed right then.

Between the proposal and wedding, everyone had come to see the house at least once, including Botan's stepmother and brother. Botan had watched as Shuichi had taken her brother fishing, chatting and catching up with her stepmother. The woman had expressed her happiness for Botan, that she had found a man her father would approve of. It still left Botan feeling jaded to hear her stepmother talk about her father positively, but she knew it would never change. She had already asserted herself enough when the woman told her she wanted to tell her father's side of the story. Botan had explained that she wanted to leave the past in the past and look towards the future. Her father, on his spiritual plane of existence, would want her to move forward and focus on the baby and living her life. It had bothered her stepmother, but she relented.

Towards the end of the summer, Botan and Shuichi had found out they were having a little girl. Between the wedding planning of their mothers, they had to find time to prepare the baby's room. Thankfully, they had their friends. While their mother's planned the wedding, Keiko and Yukina planned the baby shower. Shuichi, along with Yusuke, Kuwabara, and yes, even a reluctant Hiei, painted the room a calming shade of lavender.

The wedding had taken place in October, before Botan's favorite Halloween holiday. Because they couldn't fly to a honeymoon destination due to the pregnancy, Shuichi had driven them to Salem to celebrate Halloween. It had been a very interesting experience, and Botan had enjoyed every minute of it.

Shuichi had gotten a job at a local pharmaceutical company to do research on plants to create medicine, just as he had wanted, and the company was very welcoming and understanding, giving him time off to accompany his wife and assist her at home. Botan had not yet gotten a job since she would have to take off soon after, but the company had offered a position with them as well. Botan was considering it. Part of her had always wanted to partake in research, plus working with her husband and for such supportive people was also a plus. They even were given plenty of vacation time, sick time, and wonderful benefits. They could even work from home if they needed to.

Once the baby was born, Botan had been hired, but for the first month they allowed her to do research at home, clocking in on her work computer. It made things easier for her. She was not ready to leave her baby yet. Her mother had moved in recently, to assist with the baby when the two were at work. Botan had always planned on bringing her mother in for the woman had always supported her throughout her life, and it made it easier. They could finally settle down, her mother no longer a travelling nurse but working per diem at the local hospital.

It was a new life for everyone, and they were truly happy. At nights, Shuichi would sit with their daughter, rocking her until she was out, peacefully asleep, then joining his wife in bed. The woman had been exhausted but content as of late, so he simply held her close. He couldn't help but think back on all of their experiences, how his life had changed in such a short time…all because the woman lying safely in his arms had simply said "hello."


End file.
